Intended for healthcare professionals

Soundings

It's the quality that counts

BMJ 1998; 317 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7156.480 (Published 15 August 1998) Cite this as: BMJ 1998;317:480
  1. George Dunea, attending physician
  1. Cook County Hospital, Chicago, USA

    Quality, according to Mr Jack Lynch (author of a grammar and style guide on the worldwide web) may well be “the most abused and overused word in business English ….The word is a noun, and means a characteristic or a degree of excellence. Do not use quality as an adjective, as in quality product. Use well made, good, useful, or something similar. Never use as an adverb, as in quality-built product. Perhaps best advice is: never use quality.”


    Embedded Image

    All this is well and good for grammarians and writers. But among the healing professions, especially in places where the buffalo roamed freely when Dr Samuel Johnson already conversed so brilliantly with his illustrious friends at the Turk's Head, …

    View Full Text

    Log in

    Log in through your institution

    Subscribe

    * For online subscription