TY - JOUR T1 - Principles of justice in health care rationing JF - Journal of Medical Ethics JO - J Med Ethics SP - 323 LP - 329 DO - 10.1136/jme.26.5.323 VL - 26 IS - 5 AU - Richard Cookson AU - Paul Dolan Y1 - 2000/10/01 UR - http://jme.bmj.com/content/26/5/323.abstract N2 - This paper compares and contrasts three different substantive (as opposed to procedural) principles of justice for making health care priority-setting or “rationing” decisions: need principles, maximising principles and egalitarian principles. The principles are compared by tracing out their implications for a hypothetical rationing decision involving four identified patients. This decision has been the subject of an empirical study of public opinion based on small-group discussions, which found that the public seem to support a pluralistic combination of all three kinds of rationing principle. In conclusion, it is suggested that there is room for further work by philosophers and others on the development of a coherent and pluralistic theory of health care rationing which accords with public opinions. ER -