Polly Mitchell – författare

Ethics involves examining values and identifying what is good, right, and justified - and why. Diverse values and ethical issues run through healthcare improvement, but they are not always recognised or given the attention they need. While much effort goes into understanding whether intervention X effectively leads to change Y, questions such as 'is X ethically acceptable?', 'does Y count as an improvement?', 'should Y be prioritised?', and 'if so, why?' are sometimes neglected. This Element demonstrates the ethical considerations and rich array of values that inevitably underpin both the goals of healthcare improvement (what aspects of quality or what kinds of good are pursued) and how improvement work is undertaken. It outlines an agenda for improvement ethics with the aim of helping those involved in healthcare improvement to reflect on and discuss ethical aspects of their work more explicitly and rigorously. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

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.