The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to study scarcity. New shortages have emerged, particularly in nursing staffing. This experience revealed the many tolls—psychological, economic, and clinical—exacted by not having enough resources to care for patients safely. In settings plagued by chronic scarcity, health care professionals face these inadequacies every day. Economists and psychologists have demonstrated how scarcity impairs the ability to make rational decisions. This has relevance to the practice of emergency medicine, particularly in low-income settings, where the constant pressure of not being able to practice the standard of care and the knowledge that one works in a system of tiered access can contribute to burnout, rushed diagnoses, and improper management. By understanding the pathophysiology of scarcity, we will improve outcomes and be better equipped to address health inequity.

References

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