Factors relating to the allocation of medical resources.

This study is an extension of the work of Furnham and Briggs (1993). It examined the choice strategies non-medical people employ when asked to rank-order a waiting list of patients suffering from kidney failure. Participants were given minimum demographic data about 16 hypothetical patients, and were asked to rank them in order of priority for treatment. Patients differed in sex, income, voting preference, and whether or not they smoked. Groups favoured for treatment included females more than males, non-smokers more than smokers, "poor" more that "rich," and left-wing more than right-wing patients. Participants'political party allegiance interacted with the voting pattern of the hypothetical patient showing in-group favouritism. That is, left-wing voters favoured left-wing patients and right-wing favoured right-wing. Implications of studies of this sort for socio-medical and ethical and moral issues were discussed.