DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND THE MANAGEMENT OF ORTHOPAEDIC TRAUMA
Distributive justice is a bioethical principle concerned with the fair distribution of resources and benefits in society. In the context of orthopaedic surgery management, distributive justice is an important consideration in ensuring that all patients have equal access to the resources and care in the treatment of their injuries. The literature well documents demographic and socioeconomic factors in the allocation of elective orthopaedic surgeries, but unfortunately a similar analysis is lacking when it comes to orthopaedic trauma surgeries. This study examines fundamental philosophical perspectives that underly healthcare delivery specifically pertaining to orthopaedic trauma. In doing so, the influence of race, socioeconomic status, insurance status and other factors on access to care and allocation of resources are described. Findings for various orthopaedic trauma surgery cases suggest decreased allotment to those of black race, lower socioeconomic, educational, and non-insurance status. Although the reason is multifactorial and complex, I suggest a shift in focus to the equity and fair distribution of surgical resources by considering the role of population health, understanding multidisciplinary interactions, improving research methodology, and community partnership.
Ethics, Access, Distributive justice, Health disparities, Orthopaedic surgery, Urban bioethics
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