Health Policy

ch4ck availability of print version
Now in its fourth edition, The Economics of Health Reconsidered presents an argument that still holds true: despite assertions to the contrary, neither economic theory nor evidence shows that reliance on market forces leads to superior outcomes in healthcare systems. Government plays a crucial role in making the healthcare sector not only more equitable but also more efficient. This book reconsiders the field of health economics as it is traditionally taught and practiced. It critically examines economic theory as applied to the health sector and questions the prevailing belief that a competitive healthcare marketplace results in the best outcomes.

This essential guide for libraries, policy makers, and anyone concerned with health care in America provides information on long term health care spending, abortion, Medicaid and Medicare, health insurance and the uninsured, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and much, much more. Entries include the Medicare Modernization Act, abstinence education, electronic health records, health savings accounts, Plan B, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and Project BioShield.

Health policy in the United States has been shaped by the political, socioeconomic, and ideological environment, with important roles played by public and private actors, as well as institutional and individual entities, in designing the contemporary American healthcare system. Now in a fully updated fifth edition, this book gives expanded attention to pressing issues for our policymakers, including the aging American population, physician shortages, gene therapy, specialty drugs, and the opioid crisis. A new chapter has been added on the Trump administration's failed attempts at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and subsequent attempts at undermining it via executive orders. Authors Kant Patel and Mark Rushefsky address the key problems of healthcare cost, access, and quality through analyses of Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration, and other programs, and the ethical and cost implications of advances in healthcare technology. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and a comprehensive reference list.

Research Perspectives on the Role of Informatics in Health Policy and Management focuses on the advancements of Health Information Science in order to solve current and forthcoming problems in the health sector. Managers, policy makers, researchers, and Masters and PhD students in healthcare related fields will use this book to provide necessary insight on healthcare delivery and also to inspire new ideas and practices to effectively provide patients with the greatest quality care.

ch4ck availability of print version
Health services research is a highly multidisciplinary field, including such areas as health administration, health economics, medical sociology, medicine, , political science, public health, and public policy. The Encyclopedia of Health Services Research is the first single reference source to capture the diversity and complexity of the field. With more than 400 entries, these two volumes investigate the relationship between the factors of cost, quality, and access to healthcare and their impact upon medical outcomes such as death, disability, disease, discomfort, and dissatisfaction with care. The Encyclopedia is designed to be an introduction to the various topics of health services research for an audience including undergraduate students, graduate students, and general readers seeking non-technical descriptions of the field and its practices.

Paying for Health Care -- Access to Health Care -- Paying Health Care Providers -- How Health Care is Organized: Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Care / Health Delivery Systems -- The Health Care Workforce & the Education of Health Professionals -- Painful Versus Painless Cost Control -- Mechanisms for Controlling Costs -- Quality of Health Care -- Prevention of Illness -- Long-Term Care -- Medical Ethics & Rationing of Health Care -- Health Care in Four Nations -- Health Care Reform & National Health Insurance -- Conflict & Change in America's Health Care System