MacIntosh, David (2007) Trust and the limits of knowledge. In: Clarke, Steve, and Oakley, Justin, (eds.) Informed Consent and Clinician Accountability: the ethics of report cards on surgeon performance. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 157-166.

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Abstract

"I would be true, for there are those who trust me." Howard Arnold Walter, 1906. The old song by Walter implies that, if we are trusted, we will feel the need to take up some personal obligation to those who trust us. This is interesting, as it suggests that trust is not merely a device for cementing some certainty and commitment in relationships, but imposes an obligation on the trustee that goes to the core of his character. If surgeons are to be trusted to look after the interests of their patients, does this mean that they can also be expected to develop a corresponding sense of duty that is an integral part of the way they see themselves? It would be good if this were so. This chapter examines the effect that trust, or lack of it, may have on surgeons and how it can influence the way they behave. The use of report cards may increase the knowledge we have about particular surgeons, but how does the revelation and application of that knowledge affect surgeons and their relationship with patients?

Item ID:	2965
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISBN:	978-0-521-86507-4
Keywords:	trust; knowledge
Related URLs:	Publisher
Additional Information:	This publication does not have an abstract. The first paragraph of this chapter is displayed as the abstract.
Date Deposited:	08 Dec 2009 00:37
FoR Codes:	22 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES > 2201 Applied Ethics > 220199 Applied Ethics not elsewhere classified @ 70%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9299 Other Health > 929999 Health not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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