Values Exchange News

2008 will see us concentrate additional resources on promoting and further developing our latest product, the Health Exchange (Our inspired development partner is blackball software).

If you want to find out more about the Health Exchange take a look: here (we are partnering with Worcester University, Institute of health, Social Care and Psychology on this project).

We hope for yet bigger things in 2008.

Thursday September 27th 2007

Thursday September 27th 2007

We are pleased to announce that we have contracted with Keele University School of Pharmacy to provide a Values Exchange for the next three years. See: www.keelepharm.values-exchange.co.uk

Sunday August 26th 2007

If you like the Values Exchange go here to check out our Health Exchange development site - have a go if you like! http://hx.values-exchange.co.nz/. Please contact us for a login to our server.

Sunday August 26th 2007

The NZAOT Values Exchange is taking off following a sponsored NZ roadshow. The Sydney Schools project now has three shcools signed up. Macquarie University, Sydney are using a version of theVX for an online survey about a draft ethical framework - this will be followed by a project using the VX to the full from the end of September.

Thursday 21st June 2007

Knox School has welcomed the pilot project and we are moving forward to invite 4 further Sydney schools to join us. Since we use web-based software we would be happy to hear from any other schools, anywhere in the world, who might also like to join us.

Wednesday 6th June 2007

We are setting up a pilot project using the Values Exchange for years 8, 9 and 10 in 4 Sydney schools. Watch the progress here:

http://knox.values-exchange.co.nz

Monday 4th June 2007

The Values Exchange network is expanding rapidly. Now we are eleven - why not join us?

http://southstaffshealthcare.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://staffs.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://ucsm.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://nzaot.values-exchange.co.nz

http://kingstonuniversity.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://aut.values-exchange.co.nz/

http://redbridgepct.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://worcester.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://open.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://mq.values-exchange.co.nz

http://wlv.values-exchange.co.uk/

And check out our hub site: http://grandcentral.values-exchange.co.uk/

Monday December 18th 2006

Here is a list of our current Values Exchanges. We are in talks with a range of other potential licensees and are hoping that 2007 will see a major expansion in the VX network.

http://southstaffshealthcare.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://staffs.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://ucsm.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://nzaot.values-exchange.co.nz

http://kingstonuniversity.values-exchange.co.uk/

http://aut.values-exchange.co.nz/

Monday December 4th 2006

The Values Exchange won a prestigious Health Service Journal award for 'improving care with e-technology' on November 30th 2006 - in partnership with South Staffordshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Follow the links below for more information about the Values Exchange's 'NHS Oscar'.

System C
South Staffordshire NHS Trust
The South Staffs Values Exchange

Friday 18th August 2006

The Values Exchange is negotiating with a range of future customers in the health and university sectors to supply customised Values Exchanges. We are also planning a major vlaues transparency conference in the UK in April 2007 - watch this space for developments.   

Monday 9th July 2006

The Values Exchange is launching a Higher Education Values Exchange, sponsored by a set of Foundation universities.  Watch this space for developments.

Monday 29th May 2006

The Values Exchange is hoping to launch two new branded Values Exchanges in June (next month) - watch this space for details.

Wednesday 10th May 2006

Values Exchange CEO David Seedhouse will be presenting at a Nurse Education conference in Vancouver, BC next week.  Details here.

Friday 28th April 2006

The Values Exchange is currently negotiating key relationships with Uk health information software providers. Contact us to find out more.

Thursday 13th April 2006

Following her victory in the Appeal Court Ann Marie Rogers appears to have won the right to receive the drug Herceptin.  Values Exchange members have already offered perceptive analyses of this case, and the case closed in March.

However, given this new development we have decided to re-open the case.  Here is your chance to have an in-depth say, and to learn from the thoughts of others. Go to the Home Page and make a considered response to Health Priorities (ED-28). 

Thursday 6th April 2006

There's a new case on the Values Exchange today - why not have your say?

Wednesday 5th April 2006

The Values Exchange is delighted to announce that we have agreed to provide a branded Values Exchange for three years to the New Zealand Association of Occupational Therapists. Watch this page for more details.

Thursday 23rd March 2006

The Values Exchange is currently exploring links with key media organisations to incorporate the Values Exchange into mainstream newsmedia - watch this space for exciting developments.

Thursday 16th March 2006

UPDATE ON BABY MB

From Reuters:

The parents of an 18-month-old boy with a terminal muscle-wasting disease won a legal battle to stop doctors turning off the ventilator keeping him alive.

Doctors had argued that the boy, who suffers from severe spinal muscular atrophy, had an "intolerable" life. He cannot breathe for himself, has to be fed through a tube, and can only move his eyebrows, feet, and fingers very slightly.

But his parents said the boy, from the north of England, who can be identified only as MB for legal reasons, could still enjoy the company of his family and was not mentally impaired.

At the High Court in London, Justice James Holman described the life of the boy - who is expected to die within a year - as "helpless and sad" but he rejected the doctors' request to turn off the ventilator.

"I am not persuaded that it is currently in the best interests of M to discontinue ventilation, with the inevitable result that he would immediately die," he said.

"He continues to see and hear and feel touch and to have awareness of his surroundings and in particular of the people who are close to him - his family - and to have the normal thought process of a small child of 18 months," said the judge.

"I ... consider that currently it is positively in his best interests to continue with continuous pressure ventilation and with the nursing and medical care that properly go with it."

The case was believed to be the first in which doctors had asked to allow a patient who is not in a persistent vegative state to die.

Although siding with the boy's parents on the main issue in the case, the judge also said he could not endorse other medical treatment which could inflict additional pain on the baby.

"If that point is reached, it would be in his best interests then to withhold those procedures even though he would probably die," he said.

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It seems that the concerns of our respondents were shared by the judge in this case.  To read them complete a considered response for Case H-30 and then click SHOW REPORT.

Tuesday 14th March 2006

Though we have only 13 responses so far it is already looking as if most people will be opposed to prolonging Baby MB's life.

Study of the in-depth reports shows that there is substantial concern that the doctor's understanding of 'intolerable' should not be applied to Baby MB since the baby is reported to find some aspects of life enjoyable - if we receive clarification on this issue we will post the information on site.

Friday 10th March 2006

There are two new cases on the Values Exchange today - both are as topical as it gets.   You can also access 'read more' details from an easy link under each case on the Home Page.

Tuesday 7th March 2006

The Health Priorities (ED-28) case closed today but we will keep it on site for a few more days because the live reports make interesting reading.

Members who competed a considered response for this case will always be able to access detailed reports about it from their personal Case Lists.

Friday 24th February 2006

TRENDS.

We now have sufficient responses to our live cases to report some interesting trends (you can see these and many more simply by viewing our Live Reports).

Health Priorities (ED-28): The jury is still out on this one. However, significantly more agreement amongst females than males that the anti-breast cancer drug should be state-funded.

Brain-death and pregnancy (ED-27): 62% in favour of keeping 'dead' women on life support for the sake of their babies.  Wedge important is very similar with BOTH for and against emphasising Human Rights.

Bird 'flu (ED-25): 73% against prioritising elderly people for bird 'flu vaccine.  Strong emphasis on Human Rights by the majority (the more detailed reports also emphasise equality).  Those who agree are predominantly focussed on risk to the older people.

Infant Euthanasia (H-24): 70% in favour.  Gender is almost exactly balanced.  20 - 29 age band dominates the in favour responses. Unsurprisingly these trends reflect other international surveys on euthanasia.

Parents, Children or Government? (ED-23): A big 77% in favour of British PM Tony Blair's proposal to force parents of badly behaved children to attend parenting classes.  Interestingly the majority of opposition to the proposal comes from the 20 -29 age range.

Faith or Medicine? (H-20): Almost 60% of our respondents oppose forcing a 12 year old boy to have a potentially sight-saving operation against his and his family's Christian convictions.  There is no clear pattern for religious affiliation - Christians are as split as any other group.

As fascinating as these trends are they are essentially superficial.  To appreciate the detailed picture of VX members' views you should complete a considered response for the cases you are interested in and then access the in-depth reports.

Monday 20th February 2006

After only 4 days clear trends are forming about the Hercpetin case (ED- 28).  Some of these can be seen at the Live Reports.  For more detail, complete a considered response and then explore the further reports. 

Thursday 16th February 2006

True to our word last week (below) we have been asked to post a case about the prescription of the anti-cancer drug Herceptin and have responsed as you can see at our Home Page.

We are offering a NZ$50 prize for the most thoughtful and insightful response we receive by midnight February 24th (NZ time).

Thursday 9th February 2006

We are getting increasing requests for more new cases on the Values Exchange.  We intend to put up new cases each week but we are waiting until traffic builds up a little more in order to make the process as vibrant as possible.

Please contact us with ideas for cases YOU would like to see discussed on the VX.

Saturday 4th February 2006

We are experiencing growing interest in the Values Exchange, particularly in the UK.  We hope to announce some substantial Values Exchange projects in that country over the next few months.

Tuesday 31st January 2006

We have posted a new and topical medical ethics case.

Monday 30th January 2006 

There is growing interest in the Values Exchange.  We have decided not to market the Values Exchange but to rely on word-of-mouth.  We are confident.

Wednesday 18th January 2006

The Healthy Futures Values Exchange is now LIVE: http://nemcr.values-exchange.com/.

Monday 16th January 2006

Our maintenance is just about complete.  We now have the capacity to set any demographics any customer requires within an hour or two.

Tuesday 10th January 2006

SITE MAINTENANCE IMPORTANT NOTICE: WE WILL BE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SITE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHICH MAY AFFECT SOME SITE FUNCTIONS.  NORMAL SERVICE WILL RESUME SHORTLY.