Consumer and professional standards: working towards consensus.
Standards of treatment and care should be acceptable to healthcare consumers as well as to healthcare professionals. A simple categorisation of standards according to their acceptability to consumers is outlined. Professional/consumer groups which review and set standards are discussed, with emphasis on the principles of partnership. Working together towards consensus can be difficult but is now an important way forward.
Williamson
C
C
Consumer for Ethics in Research, London, UK. charlotte@wmsn.freeserve.co.uk
D003256:Community Participation; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006282:Health Personnel; D016134:Organizational Policy; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D006113:United Kingdom