Malpractice Immunity for Volunteer Physicians in Public Health Emergencies: Adding Insult to Injury

Abstract

There is widespread concern among public health and emergency response officials that there could be a shortage of health care providers in a public health emergency. At least the following three factors could cause an inadequate supply of physicians, nurses, and other health care providers: (1) the severity of the emergency might greatly increase the demand for health services and outstrip the available supply; (2) health care providers might become unavailable because of their own high rates of illness, as was the case in the SARS epidemic; and (3) many health care providers might not report for duty for personal, family, or professional reasons.

Keywords: medical malpractice, immunity, public health, emergency prepardness, volunteer physicians, altered standards of medical care, medical ethics, discrimination

JEL Classification: K31, K32