Main description:

A one-stop resource covering American health care and the challenges it faces

In the newly revised Second Edition of Health Care in the United States: Organization, Management, and Policy, distinguished health and organizational researcher Dr. Howard P. Greenwald delivers a comprehensive exploration of the US health care system and the challenges its practitioners, professionals, and consumers face.

From organization to management, financing, and evaluation, this book discusses the critical concepts, trends, and features of this sprawling set of interlocking systems. It also examines the historical origins of modern health care and how it delivers services to over 300 million Americans. Readers will discover:

Modern controversies in American health care that animate political debate and discussion, including the Affordable Care Act.
Discussions of the health care labor force, as well as its history, background, and crucial challenges.
Possible future directions for US health care, including preventive medicine, new policy initiatives, and proposals for reform.

Written for students and professionals working in or studying health care management, health policy, public health, medical sociology, or anthropology, social work, or political science, this latest edition of Health Care in the United States is also a fascinating read for members of the general public curious about one of the most important services they'll ever interact with.

Contents:

Tables and Figures
Preface to Second Edition
The Author
Acknowledgements

Part One: The System and Its Tasks

1- Understanding Health Care

Health Care as a National Concern
Health Care Objectives and Goals
Essential Challenges in Health Care
Public Trust and Professional Ethics
Three Perspectives on Management and Policy

2- The U.S Health Care System: Features, Development, and Controversies

The U.S Health Care System's Magnitude
Uniqueness of the System
The Impact of American Values
Controversies in U.S. Health Care

3- Major Health Problems in Modern Society

Conceptions of Health and Disease
The Causes of Disease
Epidemiology: The Science of the Denominator
Health, Illness, and Demand for Services
Future Threats to Human Health

4- Human Behavior, Health, and Health Care

The Behavioral Dimension
The Concept of the Sick Role
Health Risk Behavior
Use of Health Services
Adverse Patient Behavior
Health Literacy and Cultural Competence
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Consumer Preferences and Health Care Marketing

Part Two: Means of Delivery

5- Health Care Organizations

The Importance of Organization in Health Care
Health Service Industry Sectors
Ambulatory Care Organizations
The Hospital
The Managed Care Organization
Other Health Care Organization
Organizational Management in Health Care

6- The Health Care Labor Force

Health Care Labor Force Issues
The Concept of Professionalism
History, Background, and Challenges in Three Key Fields
Clinicans as Managers
The Health Care Labor Force: Facts and Figures
Labor Force Dynamics in the Health Professions
Professional Oversight and Discipline

7- Health Care Expenditures, Financing, and Insurance

Funding Sources and Expenditures
Health Care Costs: A Global Issue
Cost Accelerators in the United States
The Health Insurance Landscape
Additional Insurance Concepts and Terminology
Medicare Specifics and Issues
Affordable Care Act Coverage Expansion
Uninsurance: The Continuing Problem
Continuing Issues

8- Biomedical Research and Program Evaluation

The Importance of Research
Principles of Experimental Design
Modern Research Designs
Outcome Measures
Program Evaluation
Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit Analysis
The Social and Economic Context of Research
Science Gone Wrong: Error, Distortion, and Fraud

Part Three: Paths Forward

9- Innovations and Outcomes

Importance and Background
Innovation Assessment: Measurement and Methods
Selective Contracting
Cost Sharing
Managed Care
Diagnosis Related Groups
The Affordable Care Act
Other Innovations
Total Effects and Unanticipated Consequences

10- Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

The Importance of Prevention
Preventable Morbidity and Mortality
Prevention Dimensions
Prevention in Practice
Evidence-Based Prevention
Health Promotion
Challenges to Prevention
Does Prevention Save Money?
The Future: Prevention and U.S. Health Care

11- Government, Policy, and Politics In Health Care

Government and Health Care in the U.S.
The Need for Government Participation
How Government Shapes Health Care
Politics: The Driver of Policy
Political Money
Effective Health Care Politics: Case Studies in Legislation
The Case Against Government in Health Care

12- Opportunities for Change

Challenges to Reform
Non-U.S. Health Care Systems
Canada as a Model?
Options for Furture Reform

Glossary
References