We already have an answer to this, it's literally how hospitals work in every Universal healthcare country. It's generally decided on using a base of the factors you mentioned, plus a few more (like the resources available in the region). Doctors also generally get a say as a group at the hospital, they all take ethics classes at school for a reason.
To add further to this idea of managing death, the government does this all the time for other industries too.
For example they balance speed limits for cars (deaths vs utility for transportation)
They set maximum allowed concentrations of harmful chemicals in food and water (100% vs Good enough)
The list goes on and on.
For example they balance speed limits for cars (deaths vs utility for transportation)
In North America they do a shit job of this particular balancing act
Do they? What would you prefer to see?
Much slower speed limits as well as physical traffic calming measures to limit how fast people are comfortable going on streets in cities. Currently the way it's handled is mostly by trying to optimize for car throughput. There is no consideration to the safety of pedestrians or cyclists, nor really of the risk to drivers at higher speeds in a collision. North American cities are so drunk on car-centric approaches to urban planning that they can't comprehend how to build cities that are actually conducive to human life anymore.
And how much would lower speed limits cost the economy?
How many dollars per human life saved would you like?
Lol
Sure it would save lives, but millions would be late!
-Homer Simpson
My question is: should we even seek a universal answer to that dillema?
The answer is No. We should let the doctors decide, and they already do it, as a group, country-wide. They have set policies, and they teach and explain the rules to new doctors.
I believe it's called medical triage, and it's a real problem. Usually, in first world countries it's more between top notch care (Immunotherapy, Hadrontherapy), regular care, and pain management.
For cancer, it would be taken by specialised hospital on a multi disciplinary team based on what they can do, and the expected life quality/expectancy afterwards (a 75 year old having to wear a diaper sucks, but the same at 30 is worse)
Note also that the way, they do it in the US based on who can pay what is even worse. Your life isn't more important if you can put your winter apartment in Aspen for rent this winter to pay for your treatment.
Triage is also a classic one in Emergency. If you watch the Netflix documentary about Paris 2015 shootings, they interviewed one of the doctor who was doing field triage. One of these ninja are cutting onion moments
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