The book, illustrated with case examples, identifies and makes explicit the often diverse values of those involved in healthcare commissioning, whether as commissioners, providers or users of services. It provides a skills base and other support processes for working with differences in values held by those engaged in making decisions.

Is evidence-based practice really best practice? This is a hotly debated question in health and social care circles and the starting point for this book. Engaging firmly in the debate, Values-Based Health & Social Care calls into question the dominance of evidence-based practice and sets out an alternative vision of care which places holism, professional judgement, intuition and client choice at its centre. Bringing together writers from a range of health and social care backgrounds, the book describes the rise of evidence-based practice and explores major criticisms of the approach. It argues that evidence should be seen as part of a broader vision of practice which places equal value on: - a holistic vision of the needs of patients and clients. - professional knowledge and intuition, and - seeing patients and clients as partners in their care. Examples are used throughout the book to help readers link the concepts to practice. The book concludes with suggestions on how to develop a values-based approach in practice and through professional education. Values-Based Health & Social Care sets out key debates surrounding the nature of practice which will be of interest to students and practitioners alike.

This book will help clinicians acquire and develop the processes and skills of values-based practice. The aim of most patient-clinician consultations is to improve health outcomes. Often they succeed, and patients are satisfied and empowered. However, some consultations are unsatisfactory and result in failure to improve health outcomes and dissatisfaction on the part of patients, carers or clinicians. When consultations fail to achieve the desired results, the cause is not usually a failure of evidence-based practice. Today's clinicians are trained in evidence-based medicine, educated, updated and appraised. The most likely reason why things go wrong is a failure of values-based practice – not ascertaining the relevant values perspectives and acting on them in a coherent and purposeful manner. If you rehearse and practise the elements of values-based practice detailed in this book, you will find your consultations more personally rewarding and your patients are likely to derive more benefit.

This practical text takes you methodically and logically through the challenging task of commissioning and procuring public services across the health and social care sector. Split into four parts, it moves step-by-step through each stage of the commissioning cycle established by the Institute: Plan Do Review Analyse Chapters include key terms which support learning, case studies which help you apply the theory to different contexts and exercises which encourage reflection. The book is essential reading for those taking postgraduate courses in commissioning and those studying management and leadership in health and social care at postgraduate level. It is also valuable reading for professionals working in the health and social care sector.

Discusses values from the perspective of different health care professionals and why teams and collaborations may succeed or fail.

Mental health is the one area of health care where people are often treated against their will, with the justification that it is in their own interest. This raises significant ethical questions and value dilemmas; questions of autonomy, human rights, power and treatment. An understanding of how values matter is of vital importance across all disciplines working within the mental health field. This book provides a comprehensive and exploratory text for practitioners, students and all those interested in developing a knowledge of both ethics and the wider framework of values-based practice. It is unique in being fully co-written by authors representing both service user and service provider perspectives. This exciting new text will enable the mental health practitioner to work more co-productively with service users within a humane and just approach to care. With an emphasis on rights-based compassionate care throughout, this book: - Tackles the issues of how mental health is understood through key theoretical debates about mental distress, values and labelling; - Encourages readers to think critically about their understanding of key issues such as recovery, autonomy, power, knowledge, diagnoses and empathy; - Draws on a wide range of case examples and exercises to help readers deepen their knowledge of values-based practice and ethics in mental health.

Offers guidance on the current debate about the value and purpose of healthcare, helping readers to make rational, defensible decisions.