VALUES, PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY, AND HEALTH-CARE RESOURCE-ALLOCATION - AN APPLICATION TO A CAMPUS COMMUNITY

As healthcare reform is debated, it is important that decision makers consider the values of all citizens, that is, what people find desirab le or useful about healthcare services. Several states have used town meetings in an effort to determine their citizens' views on the values in the realm of healthcare. In this article, the authors describe a p rocess in which individuals actively participate in an open discussion about issues surrounding allocation of healthcare resources in a univ ersity setting. Three different groups from the university community p articipated in separate, structured meetings to discuss their values c oncerning the allocation of scarce healthcare resources. Such meetings give participants opportunities to learn about their values and those of other persons in the community.