Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach
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This undergraduate textbook outlines the components of the U.S. health care delivery system, its historical origins, the outpatient and primary care services, inpatient care facilities, and the factors behind escalating costs. The third edition reflects recent data and research findings, and addresses the new challenges of bioterrorism and medical malpractice reform. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Doody Review Services Reviewer:Patricia Kelly, EdD, PA-C(Nova Southeastern University)Description:This extraordinarily comprehensive book describes and analyzes the U.S. healthcare system from a health policy perspective. It is both wide in scope and detailed in its analysis of specific problems and constraints encountered by the system. A very important section describes the probable future of the healthcare system given current trends. Purpose:This book engages in a descriptive analysis of the institution of U.S. healthcare using a systems framework. Including historical antecedents, it provides an entirely comprehensible yet thorough overview of health systems and health policy in this country. The authors seek to meet the needs of both graduate and undergraduate health policy students. In updating this work, the authors continue to provide one of the "gold standard" academic health policy texts. Audience:The book is written for upper level undergraduate and graduate students of health policy and health systems. Because it addresses a relatively diverse audience, the authors attempt to provide a reader-friendly resource while including sufficient reference materials to encourage further scholarship. This is an excellent reference work for health policy students and also provides a "stepping off" platform to enable students to gain a sufficient fund of knowledge to understand and use primary works in the field. The authors are widely known and at the forefront of health systems analysis. Features:The scope of the book is enormous; it is literally a well organized encyclopedia of information concerning U.S. healthcare delivery. Each chapter starts with basic learning objectives and ends with terminology and review questions, which initially makes it seem simplistic. However, the intricacy of the explanations and illustrations and depth of the reference materials included at the end of each chapter make this book usable at a number of different levels. The glossary and index are complete and useful. Assessment:This would be an excellent book for entry level graduate students in health systems analysis and health policy, health law, and public administration. It provides students with an adequate fund of knowledge, enabling them to conduct subsequent and more in-depth research and analysis using primary source material. Appropriate primary source materials are clearly identified. Given the explosion of knowledge in American medicine and increasing controversy involving healthcare funding and policy in this country, a new edition is necessary and welcomed.
ForewordPrefaceList of ExhibitsList of FiguresList of TablesList of Abbreviations/AcronymsCh. 1A Distinctive System of Health Care Delivery1Ch. 2Beliefs, Values, and Health37Ch. 3The Evolution of Health Services in the United States81Ch. 4Health Services Professionals117Ch. 5Medical Technology155Ch. 6Health Services Financing187Ch. 7Outpatient and Primary Care Services237Ch. 8Inpatient Facilities and Services281Ch. 9Managed Care and Integrated Organizations323Ch. 10Long-Term Care371Ch. 11Health Services for Special Populations423Ch. 12Cost, Access, and Quality483Ch. 13Health Policy533Ch. 14The Future of Health Services Delivery563App. A: Glossary595App. B: Selected Web Sites619Index623
