Allocation of Mechanical Ventilators During a Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study of Perceptions Among Japanese Health Care Workers and the General Public.

Background: In Japan, public dialogue on allocation of life-saving medical resources remains taboo, and discussion largely has been avoided.

Research Question: Do Japanese health care workers and the general public agree with principles of ventilator allocation developed internationally?

Study Design And Methods: A four-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to assess the extent of agreement or disagreement with internationally developed triage principles for rationing mechanical ventilators during pandemics. Questionnaires were distributed in person or online, and generalized linear models were used to analyze quantitative data.