Professional values: The use of technology and the new generation of clinicians

Abstract

For care professionals, the main drive and, related to that, their job satisfaction, is based on being able to satisfy the needs of those who receive their care. Furthermore, most professionals working in contexts in which chronic care is provided, value inter-collegial respect and appreciation of supervisors. Therefore, success and failure factors of implementation of technology in health-care situations are associated with the disruption or support of these values. Mostly, health-care professionals do not themselves think about technological solutions for clinical problems, and therefore, they need support in relating technological solutions to care recipients’ needs. In this chapter, a short overview of professional values is given. Next, we outline how technology can be seen as disrupting professional values but also how it can be supportive of professional values, sometimes unexpected, as practice examples show. The chapter is concluded by consequences for daily practice and education in health-care professions.