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The appropriate contribution of professional judgment in a democratic society is considered in a test of seven ethical dimensions of the "separatist thesis," which states that professionals have distinctly different ethics than do citizens. Analysis of survey data obtained from 2,218 physicians & 5,855 citizens of Colo indicates that these professionals do have separate ethics, but more in degree than in kind, & with greater emphasis on individual than on social or substantive ethics. Dialogical communities, reasoned ethical discourse, & practical strategies of ethical review committees are necessary to blend professional & citizen ethics in the public interest. 2 Tables, 35 References. Adapted from the source document.

Best practice research (BPR) is the method of choice for contemporary postbureaucratic reform theorists. Public management researchers increasingly examine "best practices" to advocate postbureaucratic principles of customer-driven, value-focused, entrepreneurial, market-oriented government. While BPR & postbureaucratic theory may be an innovative new paradigm in public management research & theory, numerous practical & scientific challenges remain. As a methodology, BPR is theoretically self-validating, noncumulative, limited in scope, & politically skewed. BPR demonstrates the unique problems that arise when research & reform in public management become too closely linked. BPR has been successful in advancing the cause of postbureaucratic reform but cannot be responsible for evaluating the consequences of those reforms. The methodology of "reforms as experiments" is more suited for this task. 39 References. AA

Interference of private interests and bureaucracies in the production, distribution, and use of state health information meant to enhance competition and lower costs; Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Discusses such issues as access, privacy, openness, usefulness, cost and benefit, security, and ownership and their relative significance in the existing legislation and policy debate; US.