AUT - Decision Making Tools
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Decision Making Tools
Online Tools for Ethical Decision-Making
Background
Over the last seventeen years David Seedhouse has developed and documented a range of decision-making tools for health professionals meant to guide thinking about these issues and to improve decision-making in such circumstances (1991). These tools include the Ethical Grid (Seedhouse 1988, 1998), the Rings of Uncertainty (Seedhouse 1991, 1998), the Foundations Template (Seedhouse 1986, 1997 and 2001) and the Autonomy Test (Seedhouse 1991, 1998).
These tools - and particularly the Ethical Grid - are used on courses and in health care decision-making around the world (Atkinson 1989, Thomas 1997, Kuhl and Wilensky 1999). However the use of these tools has previously required either some physical means of representing the tool (a wooden block ethical grid, for example), or required continual manual redrawing of a graphic image. The time required manually to redraw a graphic image has limited the effectiveness of those tools that were dependent on such redrawing, and neither of the previous approaches created a record of the process.
Visual Ethical Decision-Making (VED) Project
The VED project involves the development of computer-based package that presents versions of Seedhouse's healthcare analysis tools in a format that allows the graphical images to be manipulated and recorded. In addition, it will provide contextual expert guidance on the use of the tools, and analysis tools to identify patterns of reasoning. VED will provide a unique method for health carers and patients to reflect comprehensively on any health intervention. Currently, health care decision-making relies almost entirely on clinical evidence, cost assessment and vaguely expressed personal judgement. By contrast, VED will:
1) Make implicit values explicit - visually and in writing
2) Allow decision-makers to understand other people's thoughts visually
3) Use no technical language
4) Offer a pictorial and written record of deliberations
5) Enable health workers to fully involve all competent patients in decisions about their treatment.
Two of the tools, the Ethical Grid and the Rings of Uncertainty are described further in the linked pages:
Background
Over the last seventeen years David Seedhouse has developed and documented a range of decision-making tools for health professionals meant to guide thinking about these issues and to improve decision-making in such circumstances (1991). These tools include the Ethical Grid (Seedhouse 1988, 1998), the Rings of Uncertainty (Seedhouse 1991, 1998), the Foundations Template (Seedhouse 1986, 1997 and 2001) and the Autonomy Test (Seedhouse 1991, 1998).
These tools - and particularly the Ethical Grid - are used on courses and in health care decision-making around the world (Atkinson 1989, Thomas 1997, Kuhl and Wilensky 1999). However the use of these tools has previously required either some physical means of representing the tool (a wooden block ethical grid, for example), or required continual manual redrawing of a graphic image. The time required manually to redraw a graphic image has limited the effectiveness of those tools that were dependent on such redrawing, and neither of the previous approaches created a record of the process.
Visual Ethical Decision-Making (VED) Project
The VED project involves the development of computer-based package that presents versions of Seedhouse's healthcare analysis tools in a format that allows the graphical images to be manipulated and recorded. In addition, it will provide contextual expert guidance on the use of the tools, and analysis tools to identify patterns of reasoning. VED will provide a unique method for health carers and patients to reflect comprehensively on any health intervention. Currently, health care decision-making relies almost entirely on clinical evidence, cost assessment and vaguely expressed personal judgement. By contrast, VED will:
1) Make implicit values explicit - visually and in writing
2) Allow decision-makers to understand other people's thoughts visually
3) Use no technical language
4) Offer a pictorial and written record of deliberations
5) Enable health workers to fully involve all competent patients in decisions about their treatment.
Two of the tools, the Ethical Grid and the Rings of Uncertainty are described further in the linked pages:
Last updated: 15 Jun 2009 4:42pm