St. Emlyn´s - July 15, 2018 - By Craig Ferguson
"Summary
It’s very understandable that people want to be able to measure outcomes in health-care. It is a really, really expensive business and people want to ensure that they use precious resources wisely. But it is also extremely difficult to translate diffuse concepts such as quality into short-term, quantitive outcomes.
The National Health Service in the UK was set up almost exactly seventy years ago. The Health Minister instrumental in introducing this, Aneurin Bevan stated, ‘..no society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.’ This is an admirable, infinite goal: the provision of universal health care regardless of means. Many of the indicators, targets or measurements in healthcare introduced since then are less aspirational.
As healthcare professionals we should be aware of the type of game that we are playing and why we are playing it. We should be wary of attempts to construct a finite game out of an infinite pursuit. Healthcare leaders should be aiming to ensure the healthcare system endures for future generations."
