Rationing health care: an exploration.

Rationing involves a failure to offer care, or the denial of care, from which patients would benefit. Rationing involves definition of efficiency (benefit) and equity (fairness) allocation criteria and a recognition of a trade-off between the two. However, accountability for rationing choices also requires careful governance of the agents of society, doctors, who judge the health needs of competing patients. An integrated rationing system requires management of patient access criteria, the knowledge base which informs practice and clinical practices.