The Gold Standard

Few things make people react more strongly to the changes going on in health care than the word standardization. Critics shudder at the mindless sameness of standards, while supporters dream of a world in which standardized ""best practices"" open up a world of efficient health care delivery. The Gold Standard takes up this debate to investigate the real meaning of standardization and how it affects patients, doctors, and the institution of medicine.Showing that standards are not about less or more skills, or more or less uniformity, but rather about a redefinition of autonomy, patients, and r