What is ‘good’ healthcare? Can we define and deliver it, or will we simply make things better for some people and worse for others? Bringing together the fields of philosophy and healthcare, this open access book provides a much needed framework for understanding and navigating the conceptual and ethical issues at the heart of healthcare improvement. This accessible text reveals the contribution philosophy can make to the provision of quality healthcare, combining theory and practice with a wide range of case studies, such as urban poverty screening in US primary care and UK concerns to underpin anti-racist practice.Throughout, the authors advocate ‘pragmatic pluralism’, emphasizing compassion, social justice and practical wisdom alongside techniques, measures and outcomes. Across public policy, bioethics, healthcare management, social sciences and beyond, it is a must-read for students, scholars andpractitioners alike.
