{
  "abstract": "Background: Triage in the medical context is a screening procedure used to determine resource distribution in situations of severe restriction of medical resources. Originally, triage was designed as a method to ascertain the treatment priority of wounded soldiers on battlefields. However, ethical discussions about clinical triage were raised during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the focus stood prioritization of care in situation of limited resources.\n\nObjective: The purpose of our investigation was comparison of experiences and ethical attitudes towards triage among military and civil physicians. To date, there is no research available on this topic.\n\nMethods: We conducted 26 semi-structured, qualitative, exploratory interviews among military and civilian physicians in Germany. All the interviews were digitally audio-recorded, transcribed and anonymized. We analyzed the transcripts via the structured qualitative content analysis method.\n\nResults: Triage scenarios bring distinctive ethical challenges for the attending physicians. Military and civil physicians share a similar approach to solve the ethical conflicts arousing in such situations. Triage situation does not allow for an individual medical gold standard in the treatment of patients; therefore, the principles of autonomy, beneficence and nonmaleficence should be subordinated to the principle of social justice. Because of restriction of the patient's autonomy, the final decision-making authority lies with medical professionals. Pre-clinical triage conditions also restrict patient-physician relationship.\n\nConclusion: The ethical justification of triage follows the imperatives of life-preservation and maximization of the number of survivors. According to interviewed physicians, in both pre-clinical and clinical triage situations, medical decisions should aim rather at maximizing the well-being of the collective – whether of wounded or of a society – than at maximizing the well-being of an individual patient. Restriction of patient autonomy regarding treatment discontinuation – ex-post triage – is unavoidable in a pandemic situation.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Ulm University , ,"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Janna Seelig"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Marcin Orzechowski"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Florian Steger"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7tjmca8ptcc5b.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fmed.2026.1938455",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13727626/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "7tjmca8ptcc5b",
  "issns": [
    "2296-858X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727626",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2739|Ethics and bioethics in healthcare"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223054687",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13727626/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13727626",
  "pmid": "42978877",
  "published": "2026-10-20",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7tjmca8ptcc5b.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T15:20:46Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13727626",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727626"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-06T12:23:28Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13727626",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2026.1938455"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2739|Ethics and bioethics in healthcare",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Ethical aspects of triage in civil and military contexts: a qualitative research of physicians’ attitudes and knowledge regarding ethics in triage scenarios in",
  "title_text": "Ethical aspects of triage in civil and military contexts: a qualitative research of physicians’ attitudes and knowledge regarding ethics in triage scenarios in",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-06T12:23:28Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7tjmca8ptcc5b",
  "venue": "Frontiers in medicine",
  "versions": []
}