03447nas a2200613   4500000000100000008004100001653001000042653001100052653001100063653000900074653000900083653001600092653002800108653001500136653001400151653002200165653001600187653002500203653001600228653002100244653003100265653001100296653001800307653002300325653002100348653001400369653001900383100007600402700001700478700001400495700001600509700002000525700001900545700002000564700001900584700001800603700001600621700001700637700001800654700002000672700002000692700001900712700001300731700001700744700001500761700002200776700003000798700005600828245014400884300001201028490000701040520177201047022001402819       2017                            d10aAdult10aFemale10aHumans10aAged10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aCross-Sectional Studies10aAdolescent10aAustralia10aAged, 80 and over10aNew Zealand10aIntensive Care Units10aYoung Adult10aCritical Illness10aSurveys and Questionnaires10aTriage10aCritical Care10aAttitude to Health10aInfluenza, Human10aPandemics10aPublic Opinion1 aAustralian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group1 aSaxena Manoj1 aMyburgh J1 aSeppelt Ian1 aNaganathan Vasi1 aCheung Winston1 aMcGuinness Shay1 aChalmers Debra1 aParke Rachael1 aBlyth Fiona1 aParr Michael1 aHooker Claire1 aBlackwell Nikki1 aDeMonte Shannon1 aGandhi Kalpesh1 aKol Mark1 aKerridge Ian1 aNair Priya1 aSaunders Nicholas1 aThanakrishnan Govindasamy1 aInfluenza Pandemic ICU Triage 3 study investigators00aA cross-sectional survey of Australian and New Zealand public opinion on methods totriage intensive care patients in an influenza pandemic.  a254-2650 v193 a<p>
<b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: </b>An influenza pandemic has the potential to overwhelm intensive care resources, but the views of the general public on how resources should be allocated in such a scenario were unknown. We aimed to determine Australian and New Zealand public opinion on how intensive care unit beds should be allocated during an influenza pandemic.
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<b>DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: </b>A postal questionnaire was sent to 4000 randomly selected registered voters; 2000 people each from the Australian Electoral Commission and New Zealand Electoral Commission rolls.
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<b>MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: </b>The respondents' preferred method to triage ICU patients in an influenza pandemic. Respondents chose from six methods: use a "first in, first served" approach; allow a senior doctor to decide; use pre-determined health department criteria; use random selection; use the patient's ability to pay; use the importance of the patient to decide. Respondents also rated each of the triage methods for fairness.
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<b>RESULTS: </b>Australian respondents preferred that patients be triaged to the ICU either by a senior doctor (43.2%) or by pre-determined health department criteria (38.7%). New Zealand respondents preferred that triage be performed by a senior doctor (45.9%). Respondents from both countries perceived triage by a senior doctor and by pre-determined health department criteria to be fair, and the other four methods of triage to be unfair.
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<b>CONCLUSION: </b>In an influenza pandemic, when ICU resources would be overwhelmed, survey respondents preferred that ICU triage be performed by a senior doctor, but also perceived the use of pre-determined triage criteria to be fair.
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