Friday 5 September 2014

UCLan Philosophy HeRMI

What’s a HeRMI? 
The School of Health is setting up a number of ‘Health Research Methodology and Implementation Hubs’ in areas such as Qualitative Research, Health Informatics, Systematic Review, User Engagement. Their focus is thus on particular methods or approaches to research rather than on particular subject areas. Although the nature of the activity undertaken will vary as appropriate between the different hubs, their initial aims are:
• To build methodological capability
• To act as a link to external methodological resources and networks
• To support high quality bids and research activity by providing specialist methodological input
• To work towards a profile in methodological innovation for REF2020

HeRMI Philosophy Group 
Healthcare raises as many conceptual as empirical questions concerning the nature of health, illness and recovery, capacity and autonomy and normative questions concerning justice and fairness in research and treatment. Philosophical research aims to answer such questions through a priori argument and reasoning rather than by empirical methods although drawing on empirical results. The justification for different empirical approaches is also a matter for philosophy.
The purpose of this group is to highlight and develop innovative philosophical work on healthcare and to foster a greater critical and reflective understanding of key concepts and research methods in healthcare.