Foreword -- Introduction -- Part I. Contrasts in Global Health Care Resource Allocation -- 1. Australia: Where Have We Been? -- 2. Brazil: Where Have We Been? -- 3. Canada: Where Have We Been? -- 4. Germany: Where Have We Been? -- 5. India: Where Have We Been? -- 6. Israel: Where Have We Been? -- 7. Italy: Where Have We Been? -- 8. The Netherlands: Where Have We Been? -- 9. New Zealand: Where Have We Been? -- 10. South Africa: Where Have We Been? -- 11. United Kingdom: Where Have We Been? -- 12. United States, Private Practice: Where Have We Been? -- 13. United States, Academic Medicine: Where Have We Been? -- 14. Australia: Where Are We Going? -- 15. Brazil: Where Are We Going? -- 16. Canada: Where Are We Going? -- 17. Germany: Where Are We Going? -- 18. India: Where Are We Going? -- 19. Italy: Where Are We Going? -- 20. The Netherlands: Where Are We Going? -- 21. New Zealand: Where Are We Going? -- 22. South Africa: Where Are We Going? -- 23. United Kingdom: Where Are We Going? -- 24. United States, Private Practice: Where Are We Going? -- 25. United States, Academic Medicine: Where Are We Going? -- 26. Analysis of the Demand for Health Care in the Global Medical Village -- 27. First Critique of Buchman and Chalfin's Conclusions -- 28. Second Critique of Buchman and Chalfin's Conclusions -- 29. Third Critique of Buchman and Chalfin's Conclusions -- 30. Fourth Critique of Buchman and Chalfin's Conclusions -- Part II. The Fair and Equitable Health Care Act -- 31. The Fair and Equitable Health Care Act (FEHCA) -- 32. First Critique of the Fair and Equitable Health Care Act (FEHCA) -- 33. Fixing the Foundation of Critical Care at the End-stage of Life -- 34. Third Critique of the Fair and Equitable Health Care Act (FEHCA) -- Part III. Legal and Nursing Viewpoints -- 35. Medical Judgment Versus Capitulation -- 36. Nursing Aspects of Inappropriate Patient Care -- Part IV. Conclusions -- 37. Where Is “Universal” Health Care Headed in the Global Village? -- 38. The New Shape Of Intensive Care In The United States -- 39. Health Care in the Year 2050 -- Afterword.

Intensive care medicine is one of the fastest growing services provided by hospitals and perhaps one of the most expensive.  Yet in response to the global financial crisis of the last few years, healthcare funding is slowing or decreasing throughout the world.    How we manage health care resources in the intensive care unit (ICU) now and in a future that promises only greater cost constraints is the subject of this book, the third in an informal series of volumes providing a global perspective on difficult issues arising in the ICU.    Leading healthcare experts, including critical care physicians, critical care nurses, ethicists, and attorneys, provide snapshots of current ICU resource allocation in 12 developed countries on which other experts then draw to analyze resource allocation and consumer demand at the level of the global medical village.  The process is repeated with an eye toward the future that takes into account initiatives and reforms now underway.   A fictional healthcare plan, the “Fair & Equitable Healthcare Plan,” is put forth to address weaknesses in existing approaches, and healthcare experts and ethicists are invited to respond to its often provocative provisions.  Structured as a dialogue, the book is a great starting point for serious discussion about the looming issue of ICU healthcare resource allocation.