'The burden of wanting to make it right': thematic analysis of semistructured interviews to explore experiences of planning for crisis standards of care and ventilator allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted planning for clinical surges and associated resource shortages, particularly of equipment such as ventilators. We sought to examine the experience of the healthcare professionals who created policies for crisis standards of care, and allocation of ventilators in the event of shortage.

Design: To that end, we conducted semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals in the USA involved in institutional planning for resource shortages in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic.