Catherine Marco, M.D., director of scholarly works and professor of emergency medicine at Boonshoft School of Medicine, was interviewed for a story and video, How to Survive a Hospital Shooting, posted in the online publication Medpagetoday on May 1. She was asked, "What is the priority in cases of violent patients?"
There's no consensus among ethicists about how physicians should weight personal safety in these situations, she said. A former chair of the American College of Emergency Physicians ethics committee, Marco said healthcare providers need to remember the goal is to provide the "most good for the most people."
“If you can't protect yourself, you can't protect others,” Marco added. “When push comes to shove, protect yourself.”
