Social Values

FAIR ACCESS

Each person should have access to an adequate level

of healthcare. This requires minimizing financial,

geographic, and cultural barriers to care

FAIR ACCESS

Distributing health care resources in a manner

acceptable from an impartial point of view; and

treating similar healthcare needs similarly, without

regard to the patient’s membership in a group or

class.

QUALITY OF CARE

Healthcare should maximize the likelihood of desired

health outcomes for individuals and populations, be

consistent with current and emerging professional

knowledge, and be humanely and respectfully

provided.

QUALITY OF CARE

Emphasis on current and emerging knowledge

underscores the constraints placed on healthcare by

technical, medical, and scientific developments

QUALITY OF CARE

Using commonly accepted procedures, in

accordance with accepted medical practice

EFFICIENCY

The healthcare system should be efficient–that is,

should achieve desired outcomes with the least

expenditure, thereby providing good value for money

spent.

EFFICIENCY

has its two important dimensions (defined by Mark

Pauly and colleagues)

■ Minimizing the cost of whatever services

are provided

■ Choosing the services leading to the

maximum excess of benefits over cost.

EFFICIENCY

An efficient healthcare system is not necessarily the

least expensive, but it obtains the greatest benefit

(defined in terms of desired outcomes) for the lowest

cost.

RESPECT FOR PATIENTS

Patients have the right to information to make

informed decisions about their care, including

information about their provider’s potential conflicts of

interest

RESPECT FOR PATIENTS

Patients have the right and responsibility to make

informed, voluntary decisions about their care

(including the right to refuse care); no care can be

initiated without the patient's (or surrogate’s) informed

consent

RESPECT FOR PATIENTS

Patient’s have the right of access to their medical

records and the right to protect and control personal

information about their health and healthcare

RESPECT FOR PATIENTS

Patient’s have the right to be treated with respect and

dignity

PATIENT ADVOCACY

Since healthcare resources are clearly finite,

treatment choices for an individual patient will affect

the resources available for others

PATIENT ADVOCACY

Some patient, therefore, may appropriately receive

less than maximum, if this is necessary to conserve

resources to assure universal access to an adequate

level of care,

PATIENT ADVOCACY

Healthcare providers should promote their individual

patients’ best interests within established, recognized

constraints.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Each person, within his or her means, share in the

costs of healthcare

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Individual financial responsibility requires all people to

help bear, to the extent possible, the cost of adequate

health insurance and services and the cost of the

system as a whole

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

The financial burden should be progressive: any

premiums, co-payments, deductibles, or taxes should

be based on ability to pay. Premium subsidies for

lower-income people, for instance, could be on sliding

scale based on gross family income, to ensure that

health coverage will be available to all people while

still requiring (almost) everyone to pay at least some

of the premium.

SOCIAL SOLIDARITY

Represents commitment to bridging gaps between

different segments of society by including them in a

community.

SOCIAL SOLIDARITY

Health care system must remain a force for societal

unity

SOCIAL SOLIDARITY

Fairness is clearly the central driving factor factor

behind the value of social solidarity

SOCIAL SOLIDARITY

Everyone has access to roughly the same level of

quality of care.

SOCIAL ADVOCACY

The healthcare provider should advance the health of

the public and recognize and provide for the

healthcare needs of the poot, underserved, and other

vulnerable individuals and groups

SOCIAL ADVOCACY

Calls on providers to renew their commitment to

advocate for the health care needs of underserved

people and of society in general.

PROVIDE AUTONOMY

Providers should have freedom to practice medicine

to the best of their ability without undue interference

from others.

PROVIDE AUTONOMY

providers should have the freedom to refuse patients

(except in emergencies or if refusal is discriminatory)

and the opportunity for just compensation of services

rendered.

PROVIDE AUTONOMY

Each healthcare profession should have the freedom

to control its education, set criteria for entry into the

profession, and control professional certification and

standards.

PERSONAL SECURITY

The healthcare system should protect individuals’

peace of mind and financial security by meeting their

healthcare needs without impoverishment.

PERSONAL SECURITY

The two interrelated elements of this value–peace of

mind (knowing that healthcare needs will be met) and

financial security (not being impoverished after paying

the bill)--are endorsed in all countries that have some

sort of national health system