Operational framework for rural hospitals during a pandemic

Abstract

It is now evident that a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has developed. The unfortunate reality is that those in rural areas may be impacted the hardest. Ethical decision making may look the same for rural areas as urban areas, but this is far from accurate. This practice article is focused on why the challenges are different and how rural hospitals might manage their unique circumstances and constraints. A step-wise decision-making framework is also proposed.