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The world's two most populous countries, China and India, are undergoing dramatic demographic, societal, and economic transformations. However, the health status of residents of China and India still lags behind relative to other populations, and the health gains in each country have been uneven across subpopulations. Although they have achieved substantial advances in life expectancy and disease prevention since the middle of the 20th century, the Chinese and Indian health systems provide little protection against financial risk, and patient satisfaction is a lower priority than it should be. This paper compares the health systems of China and India to determine what approaches to improving health in these two countries do and do not work. In particular, the authors compare the health systems in China and India along three dimensions: policy levers, intermediate outcomes, and ultimate ends. The authors conclude that both countries must (1) restructure health care financing to reduce the burden of out-of-pocket medical care costs on individual patients; (2) increase access to care, especially in rural areas; (3) reduce dependence on fee-for-service contracts that promote overutilization of medical care; (4) build capacity for addressing and monitoring emerging diseases; and (5) match hospital capabilities with local needs.

The papers in this e-book offer a unique introduction to critical management studies in health care. The papers aim to collectively challenge the forms of management thinking that see management as purely technical, as simply finding better ways of getting things done and examine the development of critical management studies in the health care arena. They show how an exclusive focus on performance has the effect of hiding phenomena like exploitation, surveillance, manipulation, discrimination and subordination and how this focus provides camouflage for the things that are regularly done in t.

Europe is facing a paradox: while governments try to curb public spending, the demands on our healthcare systems continue to rise. The use of smart technologies and innovation can help to address the challenges faced by healthcare systems today, such as an ageing population, a shortage of healthcare professionals and restrictions on financial resources. But despite increasing evidence of the benefits technology can bring, the healthcare sector has been slow to embrace the digital revolution, and has stuck to more traditional methods and models. This book presents selected contributions to the symposium on Personal Health Monitoring (PHM) and Ethics and future areas of PHM, which took place in advance of the 11th World Congress of Bioethics, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in June 2012. Most of the papers present the outcomes of the European PHM-Ethics project, which conducted interdisciplinary analyses of emerging PHM applications. Additional invited contributions deal with important issues related to the project's primary objectives and outcomes. The project is strongly associated with the new e-Health Action Plan, launched by the European Commission in December 2012, which is designed to bring the benefits of digital solutions into healthcare systems. The book covers a broad spectrum, ranging from the technical setup of PHM systems to ethical issues raised by PHM applications, and will be of interest to all those concerned with improving the provision of healthcare worldwide.

Similar to developing countries elsewhere, during the 1990s, Central American countries faced pressures to improve the performance of their health systems. In most countries, there was a consensus that the systems were failing to live up to their potential. Rather than take on system-wide change, each country opted to step into reform through launching innovations to address specific problems or deficiencies in a particular program, function or intervention of the system. Health Systems Innovations in Central America reports on how these experiences fared -- a hospital in Panama, a nutrition p.

Aging is an irreversible natural process; we as humans develop many age-related disadvantages impacting many aspects of our life. Aging is not a negative process, but the ever-increasing band of the aging population creates a different socioeconomic and healthcare cost-associated risk that may hinder the sustainable development goals of any country and the world in general. Thus, the primary purpose of this book is to cover all aspects of the aging population. Each chapter in this book will give its readers a comprehensive understanding of how an aging population affects public programs such as pension plans, social welfare aids, healthcare costs, asset loss, and labor income, including chapters focusing on the demographic distribution of age-related diseases and injuries that increase healthcare cost, current social psychological reforms, and scientific research work adopted continent wise towards sustaining the aging population. Therefore, this book is helpful for students, teachers, and practitioners studying/working in the broad areas of social sciences, economics, and scientific research advancements in aging. This book serves as a bridge toward planning and developing new policies and practices.

Refugee health is growing as an academic medical discipline. More and more health care providers are coming together to exchange research information, educational curricula and social policies related to refugee health. The number of practitioners attending the annual North American Refugee Healthcare Conference has doubled since 2014. Refugees arrive in the United States from different parts of the world. Refugees undergo a medical screening soon after arrival, as recommended by the U.S. Department of State, and it is usually primary care practitioners who usually evaluate these patients at this first visit. Psychiatrists and other specialists may also evaluate them soon after arrival.Though physicians receive a variable amount of training in cross-cultural medicine, virtually none is in the area of refugee evaluations. There are several major ways that the field has changed. U.S. refugee policies and refugee admission numbers have changed dramatically in the past four years as has the epidemiology of medical conditions because the demographics of refugees have changed. The CDC guidelines for domestic screening have also been modified significantly as some of the screening tests are no longer recommended. Protocols have also been updated for presumptive treatment received by refugees before departure to the United States of other countries. A new chapter on end of life care for refugees has been added to the book. Now fully revised and expanded, this second edition reflects the many changes that have occurred in the field of refugee health since 2014. Refugee Health Care remains the definitive resource for primary care physicians and mental health practitioners who see and evaluate refugees. It is also relevant for medical, nursing and public health students involved with refugee health as well as resettlement agency workers and public health officials overseeing refugee care

This book begins by introducing us to patients in two general-practice waiting rooms. In an Australian general practice seven patients are waiting to see doctors. In a New Zealand general-practice waiting room are two patients. The healthcare needs of each patient are outlined. Of these patients and their circumstances, the editors and specialist chapter-authors ask a series of questions. What is life like for each? How might social role, economic status, and quality of social support impact on their lived experience of illness and injury? To what extent might psychosocial variables impact on the biomedical outcome of each? How might biomedical problems impact on psychosocial variables? What might be the emotional experience of each, their perception of stress, likely resilience, and potential for achieving quality of life despite their current medical circumstances? What factors might change their emotional experience? What will influence their psychological coping? What might be the cultural and spiritual resources or needs of each? How might health practitioners and the health system more generally respond to their biopsychosocial, cultural, and spiritual needs? To what extent, and how, could presenting problems have been prevented? How can positive attitudes to health and living be promoted? To encourage health professionals to view a patient in his or her broad context, as a person, and as a person in a family, a cultural group, and in a society, with advantages to patient and clinician, Jennifer Fitzgerald and Gerard J Byrne have brought together experts in medicine, psychology, social work, pastoral theology, and social science. Following a section in which the conceptual foundations of a biopsychosocial approach to healthcare are outlined, chapters on individual differences and developmental processes, relationships, the social determinants of health, existential and ethical issues, and prevention and promotion are offered. In each chapter, to illustrate and personalise key points, authors refer to the patients in the waiting rooms.

Throughout the history of mental health practice, conflicting and irreconcilable theories have caused confusion about how disorders form, what they look like, and how they should be assessed and treated. But thanks to dramatic scientific advances in recent years, these patchwork theories can now be replaced by a unified, science-based, biopsychosocial framework for behavioral healthcare. This book presents the essential scientific and ethical foundations of the biopsychosocial framework and then applies it across the treatment process, from intake through outcome assessment. In doing so, the book provides a critical basis for the increasingly integrated healthcare systems of the 21st century.

Alzheimer's disease is an illness of the brain. It causes large numbers of nerve cells in the brain to die. This affects a person's ability to remember things and think clearly. People with AD become forgetful and easily confused. They may have a hard time concentrating and behave in odd ways. These problems get worse as the illness gets worse, making it more difficult for caregivers. Caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease is a challenge that calls upon the patience, creativity, knowledge, and skills of each caregiver. This book is for those who provide in-home care for people with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. The goal is to improve home safety by identifying potential problems in the home and offering possible solutions to help prevent accidents.

The Sociology Reference Guide series is designed to provide a solid foundation for the research of various sociological topics. This volume offers an introductory overview of sociology as it applies to health and medicine across the world. Beginning these topics is a set of essays that highlights the globalized nature of medicine and its interaction with society and culture. The essays go on to explore American health systems and the social implications of healthcare before concluding with discussions of imminent advancements in medicine and the ethical implications that coincide with them.

Depression is frequently associated with other psychiatric disorders and is often related to chronic health problems. Depressive symptoms are also common in chronically distressed close relationships and severe interpersonal difficulties in families and at work. The topic of depressive comorbidity is clearly very important, and while recent research in this area has been methodologically sophisticated, well presented, and inherently interesting, there has not been a comprehensive, academic resource that covers recent developments in this area. The Oxford Handbook of Depression and Comorbidity brings together scholarly contributions from world-class researchers to present a careful and empirically based review of depressive comorbidity. Cutting-edge chapters address theory, research, and practice, while capturing the diversity, evidence-base, and importance of depressive comorbidity. Specific topics include the comorbidity between depression and PTSD, alcohol use, and eating, anxiety, panic, bipolar, personality, and sleep disorders, as well as schizophrenia, suicide, cardiovascular disease, cancer, pain, obesity, intimate relationships, and many more. The Oxford Handbook of Depression and Comorbidity is a unique and much-needed resource that will be helpful to a broad range of researchers and practitioners including clinical and counseling psychologists, psychiatrists, marital and family therapists, social workers, and counselors working in mental-health and general health-care settings, as well as students in these areas.

In the United Kingdom there has been increasing attention paid to the needs of cancer patients who present acutely with issues relating to their diagnosis and management, complications of their cancer, complications arising from their treatment, or who require appropriate symptom control or palliative care. There is a substantial service development to ensure that Acute Oncology is appropriately provided in order to improve the outcomes and wellbeing of patients. This book proposes a template that can be used by any professional involved in the planning and delivery of acute oncology care around the world. The book is formally supported by the Association of Cancer Physicians (ACP). This highly patient-centred, readable text will be of value to clinicians, healthcare strategic and operations managers, and doctors in training, in their daily work. Who is it for? Specialists in Oncology | General Physicians | Doctors in Training | Oncology Nurses | Healthcare Managers and Administrators

Take a unique, multimedia approach to understanding the world of health care—from the office to clinical settings. Learn what it means to work as a team and communicate effectively. Then examine the basics of the human body, how to assess patients, the legal and ethical aspects of health care, and how to successfully land your first job as a healthcare professional.

Prepare yourself for the culturally rich and ethically diverse world in which you will practice. Noted researchers, educators, and clinicians from a wealth of backgrounds use the Purnell twelve-step model to examine 33 population groups from a health care perspective. Each brings a personal understanding of the traditions and customs of their societies, providing a unique perspective on the implications for patient care.

Health inequalities are the most important inequalities of all. In the US and the UK these inequalities have now reached an extent not seen for over a century. Most people's health is much better now than then, but the gaps in life expectancy between regions, between cities, and between neighbourhoods within cities now surpass the worst measures over the last hundred years. In almost all other affluent countries, inequalities in health are lower and people live longer. In his new book, academic and writer Danny Dorling describes the current extent of inequalities in health as the scandal of our times. He provides nine new chapters and updates a wide selection of his highly influential writings on health, including international-peer reviewed studies, annotated lectures, newspaper articles, and interview transcripts, to create an accessible collection that is both contemporary and authoritative. As a whole the book shows conclusively that inequalities in health are the scandal of our times in the most unequal of rich nations and calls for immediate action to reduce these inequalities in the near future.

Truths are never lost, they just get -occasionally- forgotten. Rick Steele's reflections on managed (primary) care are a powerful testimony to this. In an age of ever-increasing hyperspecialisation in biomedical and clinical practice, of virtually logarithmic doubling of peer-reviewed health science literature every year, and of ever stronger beliefs around the pervasive nature of evidence-based health care, we have forgotten an important truth about people's health and how to care for it. Health is hardly created by the health system, which should rather be called the palliative system, or disease management system. Health, as the recent Marmot reviews on their social determinants show, is created where people live, love, work and play. Those places (or'settings for health') are created and sustained by powerful systemic parameters, such as the economy, the ecosystem, education and early life, and most of all, political choice. Managing this complex, interconnected, system of causes and'causes of causes'of health and illness cannot be left to epidemiologists or clinicians, however brilliant they are. Steele argues for a comprehensive, targeted and multiprofessional approach to managed primary care that deals with some of the most challenging issues in the disease management system. His analysis stems from work mainly carried out in the 1980s and 1990s, and is strongly validated for the new millennium by two streams of action. First of all, Steele himself has been practicing his approach in a variety of capacities in Scandinavia for some decades now, yielding impressive results. But more importantly, recent insights and rediscoveries by WHO and other international and national bodies substantiate Steele's proposals. Recently, the World Health Assembly re-endorsed the Primary Health Care approach unequivocally, and not as a partial'horizontal'or partial'vertical'disease-driven community development strategy. Even more recently than that, a United Nations Summit was convened to address the looming - and in many places already rampant - epidemic of non-communicable disease. On both occasions, a measured and managed approach to health development and disease prevention was strongly advocated, and in turn endorsed by civil society. Rick Steele isn't just rediscovering these truths. In his work he shows how to make it work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ••• Special Feature ••• ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Click on the following link to see Dr. Steele do a live presentation of the book on Youtube!. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this book, the authors present current research in the study of the issues and challenges of health care insurance from across the globe. Topics discussed in this compilation include the assessment of the efficiency of hospitals in Botswana; the public long-term care insurance system in Japan; an examination of service delivery when there is an integration of health insurance and care provisions; estimating the total health expenditure on households by sources of financing and providers in Gambia; and social and private insurance systems in The Netherlands.

This country assessment is part of a set of studies planned in order to provide a better understanding of how to improve the business environment in which the private sector operates in Congo and other African countries. The assessment was conducted in order to establish a baseline of information, to help with political decision-making and provide market information. The private health sector assessment in the Republic of Congo provides a diagnosis of the nature and the effectiveness of the interface between the public and private sectors, establishes a dialogue on policy with stakeholders, and makes recommendations for reform that would bolster public and private involvement. The methodology is based on a supply and demand approach to identify market, policy and institutional barriers, and options for reducing these barriers by changing policies and initiatives. The information pertaining to demand reveals how users perceive private providers and their potential. The information pertaining to supply gives a better understanding of the role that private providers play and the challenges they encounter. The institutional information shows how Congo's institutions have facilitated or hampered the private participation. The study methodology includes the following aspects: (i) presentation of the general context of the private health sector in Congo, (ii) multidimensional analysis of demand, (iii) multidimensional analysis of supply, and (iv) analysis of institutional context. Options for action presented in this report include (i) policy and governance initiatives, (ii) regulatory initiatives, (iii) incentive initiatives, and (iv) concrete measures for public-private partnerships (PPP) in the health sector.

Health and social care commissioning is a values-driven as well as evidence-driven enterprise. However, whereas there has been an expectation that the evidence-base of commissioning should be made fully explicit, the corresponding values-base has been left largely implicit. The book addresses this subject through a detailed discussion of values and values-based practice, illustrated with case examples, and by developing a critique of existing commissioning. This approach enables commissioners to identify and make explicit the often diverse values of all those involved, whether as commissioners, providers or users of services. It provides a skills base and other support processes for working with differences in values held by all those engaged in making commissioning decisions. This will be essential reading for doctors, both experienced and in training, commissioning managers, professional staff in NHS Foundation Trusts and the private sector and all'at the sharp'end of practice.

This book presents readers with a comprehensive overview of the U.S. health care delivery system. The third edition has been significantly revised throughout to explain the Patient Protection and Health Care Affordability Act as it unfolds. Other key updates include more detailed discussions of health insurance, expanded information on health systems in other countries, and new case studies.

Evidence-Based Practice in Long Term Care The “how-to” guide for SNF evidence-based practice implementation Successfully implement evidence-based practice (EBP) in your facility with this how-to guide. The authors provide easy-to-understand guidance on the fundamentals of EBP and on how to create a culture of EBP that all staff will embrace. To ensure a smooth transition, you'll get case studies and exercises, helpful checklists to reinforce the text, and examples to help you implement EBP in your own facility. Evidence-Based Practice in Long-Term Care: Solutions for Successful Implementation will help you:Employ strategies to apply EBP through successful case studies presented in the textAchieve organizational support for EBP theory by illustrating tangible resident quality improvementStandardize skilled care with consistent resident treatment, while minimizing the variability in careReview and revisit policies and procedures on a regular basis to ensure your efforts reflect the most recent EBP standardsTable of Contents Chapter 1: What Is Evidence-Based Practice? Chapter 2: Integration of Evidence-Based Practice Chapter 3: Accessing and Appraising Resources Chapter 4: Evidence-Based Practice Becomes a Reality in Long-Term Care Chapter 5: Journal Clubs Chapter 6: How to Answer Questions With Nursing Research Methods Chapter 7: Nursing Excellence and Evidence-Based Practice Chapter 8: Examples of Evidence-Based Nursing Practice Chapter 9: Evidence-Based Practice in Long-Term Care Chapter 10: How Evidence-Based Practice Influences Quality of Care and Culture Change

How can society most effectively prevent disease and promote health? That is the challenge addressed by this textbook. Public health is the art and science of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society. The'science'is concerned with making a diagnosis of a population's health problems, establishing their cause and determining effective interventions. The'art'lies in creatively addressing these problems. Essential Public Health captures both the art and science of the field. This second edition has been fully updated with contemporary examples and includes new chapters on sustainability and change, management and leadership. Examples are taken from health systems throughout the world, giving readers a wider perspective of the challenges faced. This is essential reading for all trainees in health care, social care and related disciplines. An internet companion includes supplementary information and interactive, self-assessment questions to test understanding and aid learning.

This collection examines the role that case-studies play in understanding and explaining British health policy. Overall, the chapters cover the key health policy literatures in terms of the policy process, analytical frameworks and some of the seminal moments of the NHS. They have been written by leading health policy researchers in sociology, social policy, management and organisation studies. The collection explores and promotes the case-study as an under-used method and thereby encourages a more reflective approach to policy learning by practitioners and academics. The book will appeal to under-graduates, post-graduates and academics in social policy, public management and health services research.

Occurrence Reporting: Building a Robust Problem Identification and Resolution Process Kenneth Rohde Enhance patient care through effective occurrence reporting You already capture the data. Now use it to make real improvements in your patient care. This new resource by performance improvement expert Kenneth R. Rohde provides practical techniques to help you better analyze your occurrence reporting process, use your data to gain superior insight into why errors occur at your organization, and make improvements that decrease adverse events and enhance patient care. Benefits:Refine and improve your existing occurrence reporting system using a proven six-step approachArm yourself with the right data to become an effective change agent in your organizationDevelop an occurrence reporting process that decreases adverse events and enhances patient careImprove your report screening processEasily identify trends through detailed, efficient analysis methodsOrganize and prioritize your reports through effective codingImplement successful corrective actions through ongoing tracking and evaluationTable of Contents: Chapter 1: Rethinking the Occurrence Reporting Process Where Does Healthcare Go Wrong? Healthcare Is Not the Only Industry That Does Problem Identification and Resolution (PIR) Recommendations for an Ideal Process Chapter 2: The PIR Process Introducing the PIR Process Six Steps in the PIR Process Chapter 3: Reporting Importance of Managing Reporting Volume and Severity Must Dance Together Reporting Thresholds Tips for Normalization Internal vs. External Identification of Issues Two Simple Goals for Reporting Volume Tips for Improving Your Reporting Chapter 4: Screening Screening Is Really Just Prioritization Establishing Screening Criteria Reporting Severity Screening Quality Control Tips for Improving Your Screening Chapter 5: Analysis A Graded Approach to Problem Analysis Individual Analysis for High-Impact Problems and Moderate-Impact Problems Aggregated Analysis for Watch/Trend Problems Aggregated Analysis of Causes: The Big Payoff Five Simple Data Questions Trending and Aggregation Methods A Typical Analysis Session What Do Your Department Managers Really Want to Know? Chapter 6: Coding The Vital Process of Coding Code Based on Data Utilization A Practical Coding Structure Coding the Event vs. Coding the Causes Initial Event Codes Code Cleanup Troubleshooting Tips to Improve Coding Chapter 7: Causing Change: Implementing Corrective Actions Designing the Right Change Getting Stuff Done Dealing With External Commitments Tips to Improve Implementation Chapter 8: Tracking and Evaluation Tracking Actions Evaluation of Actions Evaluating the Effectiveness of the PIR Process Chapter 9: Taking Your PIR Process to the Next Level Looking Toward the Future Look at the 90 occurrence reporting tools included!Aviation Safety Reporting System incident report excerptNational Transportation Safety Board incident report excerptFDA adverse event report sampleIAEA initiation report sampleCPSC incident reportQuick guide to avoiding weaknesses: Build strengths in your PIR processSix steps of the PIR processSelf-assessment questions to evaluate reporting, screening, analysis, coding, implementation, and tracking and evaluationReporting stabilitySelf-reportingReporting by departmentCombine volume and severity to get the best pictureExample: Calculating relative a

As the world's population expands, so too does the risk of communicable disease and global pandemics. Consequently, healthcare has assumed a greater centrality in the public consciousness both in the United States and around the world. With various national and international organizations dedicated to epidemiological research and disease control, societal welfare has become an increasingly significant aspect of public policy. The historical, legal, and scientific factors that form the basis of public health locally and globally are the subjects of this relevant and revealing volume.

This is a handy resource of common medico-legal topics in everyday medical practice. It is suitable for medical students and practitioners, risk management personnel, health care administrators, nurses, paramedics and lawyers in the field. Besides providing a quick reference to the necessary legal knowledge for safe practice, the book serves as a basis for further in-depth research.

The struggle of Mexicans to secure quality health care is the focal point of this study. Large-scale transformations in Mexico's national health care system have resulted in budget cuts, increased user fees and decreased public services. At the local level community-based health groups that practice popular medicine are addressing the challenge by training health promoters in a variety of preventive and healing practices and offering low-cost services in community clinics. Their health care approach integrates local and global practices ranging from Mexican herbalism to Chinese medicine. Suzanne Schneider's ethnographic study of grassroots health groups in Morelos, Mexico, addresses the lives of the participants and the groups'contributions to community health. What draws women to these groups? Are they reacting to their experiences with formal health care? To what extent are the groups'teachings applied in the household and accepted throughout the community? Does group participation offer women new sources of empowerment or avenues to income generation? Does the government support these groups? How do they fit into larger trends of health care reform and the shift toward privatization?Taking a political economic approach, Schneider examines the conditions under which community-based health groups are emerging and explores the ways different constituencies address health dilemmas. She delineates future roles for new participants in health care, new models of community health, and a new medical pluralism.

Description based on print version record.

The Truth of Scientific Medicine is an attempt to deal with one of the crucial problems in modern medicine: the rapid rate of exchange of truths serving as the foundation of medical practice. Unstable truths are a source of skepticism and concern among many physicians. They are also one of the main reasons for the crisis undermining the trust between patient and physician. The quest for the truth in modern medicine passes through the six core concepts of scientific truth: paradigms, methods, borders, criteria, interpretation and inference. The author deliberates each of these concepts through concrete examples at three levels: the historical, the theoretical and the political. The issues serving as the basis of the discussion are of concern to the medical world, and appear at the core of professional and sometimes the public debate: management of coronary heart disease, treatment of bronchial asthma, hormone replacement in menopausal women, early detection of breast cancer, drug therapy for diabetes, conventional vs. alternative medicine.

'Updated to reflect recent developments in health care, Best Care Anywhere, Second Edition, explains how the quality revolution at the nation's veterans hospitals can help us reform the U.S. health care system as a whole. The book also offers a realistic plan for creating a civilian version of the VA—a truly public option offering high-quality health care and substantial cost savings'

Years of using, misusing, and overusing antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant'superbugs.'The IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats held a public workshop April 6-7 to discuss the nature and sources of drug-resistant pathogens, the implications for global health, and the strategies to lessen the current and future impact of these superbugs.

Many voluntary health organizations fund translational research. An increasing number of these organizations are looking at venture philanthropy as a critical way to advance their missions of helping patients and working to cure disease. A wide range of participants gathered on October 3, 2008 at the Beckman Center of the National Academies of Science for a workshop titled'Venture Philanthropy Strategies Used by Patient Organizations to Support Translational Research.'Participants with experience in venture philanthropy shared their experiences and lessons learned in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness in translational research.

Many developing countries are looking to scale-up what works through major systems strengthening investments. With leadership, conviction and commitment, systems thinking can facilitate and accelerate the strengthening of systems to more effectively deliver interventions to those in need and be better able to improve health in an equitable way. Systems thinking is not a panacea. Its application does not mean that resolving problems and weaknesses will come easily or naturally or without overcoming the inertia of the established way of doing things. But it will identify, with more precision, where some of the true blockages and challenges lie. It will help to: 1) explore these problems from a systems perspective; 2) show potentials of solutions that work across sub-systems; 3) promote dynamic networks of diverse stakeholders; 4) inspire learning; and 5) foster more system-wide planning, evaluation and research. And it will increase the likelihood that health system strengthening investments and interventions will be effective. The more often and more comprehensively the actors and components of the system can talk to each other from within a common framework --communicating, sharing, problem-solving - the better chance any initiative to strengthen health systems has. Real progress will undoubtedly require time, significant change, and momentum to build capacity across the system. However, the change is necessary - and needed now. This report therefore speaks to health system stewards, researchers and funders and maps out a set of strategies and activities to harness these approaches, to link them to these emerging opportunities and to assist systems thinking to become the norm in design and evaluation of interventions in health systems. But, the final message is to the funders of health system strengthening and health systems research who will.

Distills the whole of the US healthcare system into something comprehensible if not logical and consequently, remediable. The author examines the history of US healthcare and details the maze of the unforgiving system; explores the regulations that add more complexity than protection; and discusses potential means of financing.

Understanding the history of health during the past 60 years helps us to respond to the health challenges of today. Sharing health knowledge inspired by history enriches global public health and benefits society at large. This volume offers insights into not only the Organization itself but also the political, social and economic background against which many far-reaching health decisions were made. It reflects the first five of the'Mahler years', which saw growing support for the primary health care movement. Thirty years after Alma-Ata, that movement is once again much in evidence; primary health care is again a WHO priority, in a renewed, reinvigorated form.--Publisher's description.

Noted researchers, educators, and clinicians, from a wealth of backgrounds, introduce y ou to 30 population groups from around the globe. Each contributor uses the Purnell 12-step model to explore a cultural group, and examine the implications of each step on the delivery of health care. Their in-depth understanding of these societies brings you personal perspectives you will find nowhere else.

Following the success of the flagship Patients Beyond Borders Singapore Edition, published in July 2007, the second edition has now been released. This 250-page guidebook features a fully updated and revised in-depth overview of Singapore's hospitals and clinics serving international patients and now includes 16 pages of color inserts showcasing Singapore's world-class facilities and attractions. Considered one of the world's top medical travel destinations, Singapore attracts more than 410,000 international patients to its hospitals and treatment centers and expects that number to grow to one million by 2012. The country boasts 13 JCI-accredited healthcare facilities, and its healthcare system was ranked the best in Asia and sixth best in the world by the World Health Organization (the US was ranked 36th). Singapore's 35 international clinics and hospitals offer nearly every imaginable medical procedure — at a 30 to 60 percent saving over U.S. prices. This complete guide contains detailed profiles of each of the country's hospitals and clinics serving international patients and includes extensive coverage of the acclaimed Centers of Excellence, specialties and super-specialties, patient liaison services, accommodation options, travel destinations, and more.

Home to the world's most advanced medical practices, the United States spends more on health care than any other country. At the same time, treatment is harder to get in the United States than in most other industrialized nations. Benchmark statistics such as infant mortality and life expectancy reveal a society that is not nearly as healthy as it could be.This comprehensive analysis introduces the various organizations and institutions that make the U.S. health care system work—or fail to work, as the case may be. It identifies historical, social, political, and economic forces that shape this system and create policy dilemmas that are all too familiar. Donald A. Barr examines the structure of American health care and insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. He addresses the shift to for-profit managed care and how it may affect the delivery of care; the pharmaceutical industry and the impact of pharmaceutical policy; issues of long-term care; and the plight of the uninsured. The new edition also covers recent developments in areas such as prescription drugs, medical errors, and nursing shortages.

This book makes a significant contribution to the discussions about the future of Hong Kong's health system. The evidence-driven content draws from the deep expertise and experiences of a wide spectrum of contributors, whose multidisciplinary input, based on moral philosophy, political economy, macro-financing, health services research, business strategy, and patients'experience, reveals areas that require urgent attention and focuses on the issues that matter most if Hong Kong is to achieve better population health through the system. The book meets the critical need of students, academics, health care professionals, government officials, politicians, and the general public who have been struggling with how best to approach and understand the context and the need for change.

Title from eBook title screen (viewed on Dec. 13, 2006).

The Swiss population enjoys good health and universal access to a comprehensive range of modern health services, but policy makers are faced with considerable policy challenges, particularly to contain fast-growing health spending and improve value for money. This book analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss health system. It weighs them against the key policy objectives of health-system effectiveness and responsiveness, access to care and equitable financing, efficient supply of services, and financial sustainability. The report assesses new proposals for reform of the health system and provides policy recommendations to help address current and upcoming challenges facing the Swiss authorities.--Publisher's description.

An Introduction to Community Health incorporates a variety of pedagogical elements that assist and encourage students to understand complex community health issues. Each chapter of the book includes (1) chapter objectives, (2) a scenario, (3) an introduction, (4) content, (5) marginal definitions of key terms, (6) a chapter summary, (7) a scenario analysis and response, (8) review questions, (9) activities, (10) information about Web activities, and (11) references.

'This book describes the strengths and weaknesses of the Mexican health system in terms of access to health care, quality of care, efficient supply of services and the financial sustainability of the system. The report also evaluates reforms to the system with particular emphasis on the recently-introduced System of Social Protection in Health ('Sistema de Protección Social en Salud') and assesses remaining policy challenges facing the Mexican authorities.'--Publisher abstract.

This comprehensive review of the Finnish health care system evaluates financing, service provision, investment, governance, and insurance/payment schemes. Recent reforms are assessed and longer-term challenges such as those posed by technological change, a rapidly ageing population, and rising consumer expectations are evaluated. The review includes a series of recommendations.

This book provides a report card of the G8 commitments over 1999, 2000 and 2001, with a preliminary assessment of the 2002 summit in Kananaskis, Canada. It presents findings from the G8 Research Centre of the University of Toronto in Canada, which has been tracking compliance on G8 commitments for a number of years. Based on research funded by the IDRC, this book extends these assessments of compliance to an examination of how adequate G8 commitments are to global development needs. No other publication has taken such a frank report-card approach to studying the behaviour of the G8 nations.