Ebook Health Care Coverage Determinations An International Comparative Study

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EBOOK: Health Care Coverage Determinations: An International Comparative Study

Author : Timothy Jost
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN 13 : 0335225993
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis EBOOK: Health Care Coverage Determinations: An International Comparative Study by : Timothy Jost

Download or read book EBOOK: Health Care Coverage Determinations: An International Comparative Study written by Timothy Jost and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2004-12-16 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A ground breaking set of case studies about how [health care] coverage decisions are made" Robert A. Berenson M.D. Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, Washington D.C. and former Director of the Center for Health Plans and Providers of the Medicare program Developed countries are facing rapidly rising health care costs and one of the major factors driving health care cost growth is the continual development and diffusion of new, generally more expensive, health care technologies. This book contains: * A description of the institutions, procedures and criteria used by eight countries for assessing technologies for public insurance coverage * An analysis of the role of interest groups, and of the public interest, in these decision making processes * An examination of how particular technologies are treated differently by different countries, and why Based upon research from Australia, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, the contributors argue that although each of these countries is committed to evidence-based scientific assessment of technologies, in fact adoption of technologies is significantly affected by political considerations, and in particular by the influence of interest groups. Moreover, it offers recommendations as to how technology assessment for coverage policy can be improved to serve better the public interest. Health Care Coverage Determinations is essential reading for health policy makers, managers, researchers and students with an interest in health economics, health care provision and the politics affecting health care legislation. Contributors: Liliana Bulfone, Tanisha Carino, Peter C. Coyte, Anna García-Altés, Colleen M. Flood, Stefan Greß, Felix Gurtner, Anthony Harris, Timothy Stoltzfus Jost, Eric Nauenberg, Christopher Newdick, Dea Niebuhr, Guillaume Roduit, Heinz Rothgang, Frans F.H. Rutten, Dominique Sprumont, Juergen Wasem.

EBOOK: Comparative Health Policy in the Asia Pacific

Author : Robin Gauld
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN 13 : 0335225101
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis EBOOK: Comparative Health Policy in the Asia Pacific by : Robin Gauld

Download or read book EBOOK: Comparative Health Policy in the Asia Pacific written by Robin Gauld and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2004-12-16 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Dr. Gauld’s collection of case studies is informativeand accessible. I would recommend it as acentral text for a course in comparative healthsystems." Political Studies Review Based upon research from eight countries in the Asia-Pacific – Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan – this book analyses and compares their differing health policies. Key issues the book probes include: ·The ways that health care is financed and delivered across the region ·The historical and institutional arrangements that impact upon health policy and health care ·How the health systems differ between the countries under study ·How policymakers and service providers deal with unlimited demand and limited funding and issues such as service coverage and quality ·How pharmaceuticals and population health strategies are managed ·What the roles of the state and various other players (such as the private sector and professional associations) are in the making of health policy and delivery of health care ·The challenges that lie ahead for health care and health policy in the region Comparative Health Policy in the Asia-Pacific is key reading for students, researchers and policy makers with an interest in health policy. It is relevant to those studying medicine and health studies, anthropology, history, sociology, public policy, politics and Asian studies.

EBOOK: The New Health Policy

Author : Robin Gauld
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN 13 : 0335239552
Total Pages : 215 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis EBOOK: The New Health Policy by : Robin Gauld

Download or read book EBOOK: The New Health Policy written by Robin Gauld and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2009-06-16 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is an excellent and accessible introduction to key current debates in health policy. It is enriched by deft comparative analysis and by the way Dr Gauld locates the study in the context of current ideological debates. Students will learn a lot from wrestling with the questions posed at the end of each chapter – and so will their teachers!" Paul Wilding, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Manchester, UK This book analyzes the issues that form the nucleus of the emerging ‘new health policy’ agenda. Robin Gauld brings together in one volume a comprehensive picture of the health policy challenges facing contemporary developed world health systems, as well as the strategies for tackling these. Individual chapters, respectively, analyze: Challenges in health care funding and organization Quality and patient safety The application of information technology Clinical governance The changing nature of professionalism and public involvement in health care planning Public health The role of the private sector The book highlights the importance to policy makers of each subject, overviews research into it, and discusses policy responses in Britain, New Zealand and the United States. The New Health Policy is essential reading for all students of health policy and health care, along with policy makers and health care professionals.

Health Insurance Systems

Author : Thomas Rice
Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0128160721
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis Health Insurance Systems by : Thomas Rice

Download or read book Health Insurance Systems written by Thomas Rice and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-05-10 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Health Insurance Systems: An International Comparison offers united and synthesized information currently available only in scattered locations - if at all - to students, researchers, and policymakers. The book provides helpful contexts, so people worldwide can understand various healthcare systems. By using it as a guide to the mechanics of different healthcare systems, readers can examine existing systems as frameworks for developing their own. Case examples of countries adopting insurance characteristics from other countries enhance the critical insights offered in the book. If more information about health insurance alternatives can lead to better decisions, this guide can provide an essential service. Delivers fundamental insights into the different ways that countries organize their health insurance systems Presents ten prominent health insurance systems in one book, facilitating comparisons and contrasts, to help draw policy lessons Countries included are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States Helps students, researchers, and policymakers searching for innovative designs by providing cases describing what countries have learned from each other

Care Without Coverage

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309083435
Total Pages : 213 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Care Without Coverage by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Care Without Coverage written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-06-20 with total page 213 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Americans believe that people who lack health insurance somehow get the care they really need. Care Without Coverage examines the real consequences for adults who lack health insurance. The study presents findings in the areas of prevention and screening, cancer, chronic illness, hospital-based care, and general health status. The committee looked at the consequences of being uninsured for people suffering from cancer, diabetes, HIV infection and AIDS, heart and kidney disease, mental illness, traumatic injuries, and heart attacks. It focused on the roughly 30 million-one in seven-working-age Americans without health insurance. This group does not include the population over 65 that is covered by Medicare or the nearly 10 million children who are uninsured in this country. The main findings of the report are that working-age Americans without health insurance are more likely to receive too little medical care and receive it too late; be sicker and die sooner; and receive poorer care when they are in the hospital, even for acute situations like a motor vehicle crash.

Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries

Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309217105
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries by : National Research Council

Download or read book Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2011-06-27 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the last 25 years, life expectancy at age 50 in the United States has been rising, but at a slower pace than in many other high-income countries, such as Japan and Australia. This difference is particularly notable given that the United States spends more on health care than any other nation. Concerned about this divergence, the National Institute on Aging asked the National Research Council to examine evidence on its possible causes. According to Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries, the nation's history of heavy smoking is a major reason why lifespans in the United States fall short of those in many other high-income nations. Evidence suggests that current obesity levels play a substantial part as well. The book reports that lack of universal access to health care in the U.S. also has increased mortality and reduced life expectancy, though this is a less significant factor for those over age 65 because of Medicare access. For the main causes of death at older ages-cancer and cardiovascular disease-available indicators do not suggest that the U.S. health care system is failing to prevent deaths that would be averted elsewhere. In fact, cancer detection and survival appear to be better in the U.S. than in most other high-income nations, and survival rates following a heart attack also are favorable. Explaining Divergent Levels of Longevity in High-Income Countries identifies many gaps in research. For instance, while lung cancer deaths are a reliable marker of the damage from smoking, no clear-cut marker exists for obesity, physical inactivity, social integration, or other risks considered in this book. Moreover, evaluation of these risk factors is based on observational studies, which-unlike randomized controlled trials-are subject to many biases.

Health-Care Utilization as a Proxy in Disability Determination

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 030946921X
Total Pages : 161 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Health-Care Utilization as a Proxy in Disability Determination by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Health-Care Utilization as a Proxy in Disability Determination written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2018-04-02 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers two programs that provide benefits based on disability: the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. This report analyzes health care utilizations as they relate to impairment severity and SSA's definition of disability. Health Care Utilization as a Proxy in Disability Determination identifies types of utilizations that might be good proxies for "listing-level" severity; that is, what represents an impairment, or combination of impairments, that are severe enough to prevent a person from doing any gainful activity, regardless of age, education, or work experience.

Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes

Author : Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/AHRQ
Publisher : Government Printing Office
ISBN 13 : 1587634333
Total Pages : 385 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (876 download)

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Book Synopsis Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes by : Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/AHRQ

Download or read book Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes written by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality/AHRQ and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This User’s Guide is intended to support the design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, and quality evaluation of registries created to increase understanding of patient outcomes. For the purposes of this guide, a patient registry is an organized system that uses observational study methods to collect uniform data (clinical and other) to evaluate specified outcomes for a population defined by a particular disease, condition, or exposure, and that serves one or more predetermined scientific, clinical, or policy purposes. A registry database is a file (or files) derived from the registry. Although registries can serve many purposes, this guide focuses on registries created for one or more of the following purposes: to describe the natural history of disease, to determine clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of health care products and services, to measure or monitor safety and harm, and/or to measure quality of care. Registries are classified according to how their populations are defined. For example, product registries include patients who have been exposed to biopharmaceutical products or medical devices. Health services registries consist of patients who have had a common procedure, clinical encounter, or hospitalization. Disease or condition registries are defined by patients having the same diagnosis, such as cystic fibrosis or heart failure. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews.

Coronavirus Politics

Author : Scott L Greer
Publisher : University of Michigan Press
ISBN 13 : 0472902466
Total Pages : 416 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (729 download)

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Book Synopsis Coronavirus Politics by : Scott L Greer

Download or read book Coronavirus Politics written by Scott L Greer and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 2021-04-19 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: COVID-19 is the most significant global crisis of any of our lifetimes. The numbers have been stupefying, whether of infection and mortality, the scale of public health measures, or the economic consequences of shutdown. Coronavirus Politics identifies key threads in the global comparative discussion that continue to shed light on COVID-19 and shape debates about what it means for scholarship in health and comparative politics. Editors Scott L. Greer, Elizabeth J. King, Elize Massard da Fonseca, and André Peralta-Santos bring together over 30 authors versed in politics and the health issues in order to understand the health policy decisions, the public health interventions, the social policy decisions, their interactions, and the reasons. The book’s coverage is global, with a wide range of key and exemplary countries, and contains a mixture of comparative, thematic, and templated country studies. All go beyond reporting and monitoring to develop explanations that draw on the authors' expertise while engaging in structured conversations across the book.

Which Country Has the World's Best Health Care?

Author : Ezekiel J. Emanuel
Publisher : PublicAffairs
ISBN 13 : 1541797728
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (417 download)

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Book Synopsis Which Country Has the World's Best Health Care? by : Ezekiel J. Emanuel

Download or read book Which Country Has the World's Best Health Care? written by Ezekiel J. Emanuel and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2020-06-16 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The preeminent doctor and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel is repeatedly asked one question: Which country has the best healthcare? He set off to find an answer. The US spends more than any other nation, nearly $4 trillion, on healthcare. Yet, for all that expense, the US is not ranked #1 -- not even close. In Which Country Has the World's Best Healthcare? Ezekiel Emanuel profiles eleven of the world's healthcare systems in pursuit of the best or at least where excellence can be found. Using a unique comparative structure, the book allows healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers alike to know which systems perform well, and why, and which face endemic problems. From Taiwan to Germany, Australia to Switzerland, the most inventive healthcare providers tackle a global set of challenges -- in pursuit of the best healthcare in the world.

The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309133181
Total Pages : 536 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2003-02-01 with total page 536 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.

EBOOK: Reasonable Rationing

Author : Chris Ham
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN 13 : 0335225675
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis EBOOK: Reasonable Rationing by : Chris Ham

Download or read book EBOOK: Reasonable Rationing written by Chris Ham and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2003-05-16 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Reasonable Rationing is must reading for those interested in how to connect theory about fair rationing processes to country-level practices. The five case studies reveal a deep tension between political pressures to accomodate interest group demands and ethically motivated efforts to improve both information and institutional procedures for setting fair limits to care. The authors frame the issues insightfully." - Professor Norman Daniels, Harvard School of Public Health . How are different countries setting priorities for health care? . What role does information and evidence on cost and effectiveness play? . How are institutions contributing to priority setting? . What are the lessons for policy makers? Priority setting in health care is an issue of increasing importance. Choices about the use of health care budgets are inescapable and difficult. A number of countries have sought to strengthen their approach to priority setting by drawing on research-based evidence on the cost and effectiveness of different treatments. This book brings together leading experts in the field to summarize and analyse the experience of priority setting in five countries: Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. Drawing on literature from a range of disciplines, it makes a significant contribution to the debate on the role of information and institutions in priority setting. Reasonable Rationing has been written with a broad readership in mind. It will be of interest to policy makers, health care professionals and health service managers, as well as students of health and social policy at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Health Literacy

Author : R.A. Logan
Publisher : IOS Press
ISBN 13 : 161499790X
Total Pages : 496 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (149 download)

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Book Synopsis Health Literacy by : R.A. Logan

Download or read book Health Literacy written by R.A. Logan and published by IOS Press. This book was released on 2017-10-18 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While health literacy is a relatively new multidisciplinary field, it is vital to the successful engagement with and communication of health with patients, caregivers, and the public. This book ‘New Directions in Health Literacy Research, Theory, and Practice’ provides an introduction to health literacy research and practice and highlights similar scholarship in related disciplines. The book is organized as follows: the first chapter explains the still-evolving definition of health literacy; the next three chapters discuss developments and new directions in health literacy research, then a further two chapters are devoted to developments and new directions in health literacy theory. Two chapters explore health literacy interventions for vulnerable populations; four chapters cover health literacy leadership efforts; six chapters describe developments and new directions in disciplines that are similar to health literacy; and six chapters portray diverse health literacy practices. A preface from Richard Carmona M.D., the former U.S. Surgeon General, is included in the book. Although the book is intended primarily for health literacy researchers, practitioners and students, the diverse topics and approaches covered will be of interest to all healthcare and public health researchers, practitioners, and students, as well as scholars in related fields, such as health communication, science communication, consumer health informatics, library science, health disparities, and mass communication. As Dr. Carmona concludes in his preface: ‘This is essential reading for all health practitioners.’

Health Economics from Theory to Practice

Author : Simon Eckermann
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319506137
Total Pages : 339 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (195 download)

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Book Synopsis Health Economics from Theory to Practice by : Simon Eckermann

Download or read book Health Economics from Theory to Practice written by Simon Eckermann and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-03-20 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a robust set of health economic principles and methods to inform societal decisions in relation to research, reimbursement and regulation (pricing and monitoring of performance in practice). We provide a theoretical and practical framework that navigates to avoid common biases and suboptimal outcomes observed in recent and current practice of health economic analysis, as opposed to claiming to be comprehensive in covering all methods. Our aim is to facilitate efficient health system decision making processes in research, reimbursement and regulation, which promote constrained optimisation of community outcomes from a societal perspective given resource constraints, available technology and processes of technology assessment. Importantly, this includes identifying an efficient process to maximize the potential that arises from research and pricing in relation to existing technology under uncertainty, given current evidence and associated opportunity costs of investment. Principles and methods are identified and illustrated across health promotion, prevention and palliative care settings as well as treatment settings. Health policy implications are also highlighted.

Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations

Author : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309680816
Total Pages : 437 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2021-01-23 with total page 437 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The increase in prevalence and visibility of sexually gender diverse (SGD) populations illuminates the need for greater understanding of the ways in which current laws, systems, and programs affect their well-being. Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, or intersex, as well as those who express same-sex or -gender attractions or behaviors, will have experiences across their life course that differ from those of cisgender and heterosexual individuals. Characteristics such as age, race and ethnicity, and geographic location intersect to play a distinct role in the challenges and opportunities SGD people face. Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations reviews the available evidence and identifies future research needs related to the well-being of SDG populations across the life course. This report focuses on eight domains of well-being; the effects of various laws and the legal system on SGD populations; the effects of various public policies and structural stigma; community and civic engagement; families and social relationships; education, including school climate and level of attainment; economic experiences (e.g., employment, compensation, and housing); physical and mental health; and health care access and gender-affirming interventions. The recommendations of Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations aim to identify opportunities to advance understanding of how individuals experience sexuality and gender and how sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex status affect SGD people over the life course.

Knowing What Works in Health Care

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309113563
Total Pages : 279 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Knowing What Works in Health Care by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Knowing What Works in Health Care written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2008-05-29 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is currently heightened interest in optimizing health care through the generation of new knowledge on the effectiveness of health care services. The United States must substantially strengthen its capacity for assessing evidence on what is known and not known about "what works" in health care. Even the most sophisticated clinicians and consumers struggle to learn which care is appropriate and under what circumstances. Knowing What Works in Health Care looks at the three fundamental health care issues in the United States-setting priorities for evidence assessment, assessing evidence (systematic review), and developing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines-and how each of these contributes to the end goal of effective, practical health care systems. This book provides an overall vision and roadmap for improving how the nation uses scientific evidence to identify the most effective clinical services. Knowing What Works in Health Care gives private and public sector firms, consumers, health care professionals, benefit administrators, and others the authoritative, independent information required for making essential informed health care decisions.

The Truth About Health Care

Author : David Mechanic
Publisher : Rutgers University Press
ISBN 13 : 0813541158
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (135 download)

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Book Synopsis The Truth About Health Care by : David Mechanic

Download or read book The Truth About Health Care written by David Mechanic and published by Rutgers University Press. This book was released on 2006-08-04 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The United States spends greatly more per person on health care than any other country but the evidence shows that care is often poor and inappropriate. Despite expenditures of 1.7 trillion dollars in 2003, and growing substantially each year, services remain fragmented and poorly coordinated, and more than 46 million people are uninsured. Why can't America, with its vast array of resources, sophisticated technologies, superior medical research and educational institutions, and talented health care professionals, produce higher quality care and better outcomes? In The Truth about Health Care, David Mechanic explains how health care in America has evolved in ways that favor a myriad of economic, professional, and political interests over those of patients. While money has always had a place in medical care, "big money" and the quest for profits has become dominant, making meaningful reforms difficult to achieve. Mechanic acknowledges that railing against these influences, which are here to stay, can achieve only so much. Instead, he asks whether it is possible to convert what is best about health care in America into a well functioning system that better serves the entire population. Bringing decades of experience as an active health policy participant, researcher, teacher, and consultant to the public and private sectors, Mechanic examines the strengths and weaknesses of our system and how it has evolved. He pays special attention to areas often neglected in policy discussions, such as the loss of public trust in medicine, the tragic state of long-term care, and the relationship of mental health to health care. For anyone who has been frustrated by uncoordinated health networks, insurance denials, and other obstacles to obtaining appropriate care, this book will provide a refreshing and frank look at the system's current and future dilemmas. Mechanic's thoughtful roadmap describes how health plans, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and consumer groups can work together to improve access, quality, fairness, and health outcomes in America. About the Author: