In my last post I considered a “thought paper” entitled “The habits of an improver” and welcomed that critical thinking was considered a necessary habit.
The word “engineer” or “engineering” is to be found on 42 separate occasions in this Health Foundation thought paper.
The word “ethics” does not appear at all. Despite the fact that the introduction begins with this quote:
That ethics do not seem to be considered amongst the “habits” necessary for “improvement science” is concerning.
The last time I looked, I found this result using the Healthcare Improvement Scotland search facility:
The former Chief Executive for the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland used to introduce me as “Bayesian Peter”. Bayesian is the name given to interpretations of probability and returns to Reverend Thomas Bayes original considerations of complexity.
Healthcare, like life, is complex. We are human and live in an ever changing world.
This is not all so simply “engineered”.
Ethics is integral to science. I do not deserve the epithet “Bayesian Peter” – for whilst I am interested in ethics this does not mean that I am more ethical than you the reader.
However, I want to say as clearly as I can, and yes with passion, that without ethical considerations “improvement science” should linger in quotes.
Reblogged this on Chrys Muirhead .
Well said Peter, also your preceding post.
Name calling isn’t pleasant, whatever the reason. We should all be concerned about ethics. For they concern us all. Especially the highly paid leaders of our national healthcare improvement organisations.