The contentious passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 highlighted the incredible complexity and controversy surrounding health care in the United States. While the U.S. federal government does not provide universal health care, it has an extremely wide reach when it comes to the health of its citizenry. From important scientific and medical research funding to infectious disease control and health services for veterans and the elderly, the pathway to legislation and execution of health policies is filled with competing interests and highly varied solutions. The Guide to U.S. Health and Health Care Policy provides the analytical connections showing researchers how issues and actions are translated into public policies and institutions for resolving or managing healthcare issues and crises. The Guide highlights the decision-making cycle that requires the cooperation of federal and state governments, business, and an informed citizenry in order to achieve a comprehensive approach to advancing the nation’s healthcare policies. Through 30 topical chapters, the book addresses the development of the U.S. healthcare system and policies, the federal agencies and public and private organizations that frame and administer those policies, and the challenges of balancing the nation’s healthcare needs with the rising costs of medical research, cost-effective treatment, and adequate health insurance. Additionally, the book comprehensively addresses significant disparities that exist in the U.S. system and the challenges to public health posed by our increasingly connected world. Taking a comprehensive approach, the Guide traces policy initiatives across time and takes into account the most recent scholarship: Part One: Evolution of American Health Care Policy Looks at the emerging and expanding role of government in the health care sector and the position the U.S. occupies today as the only advanced industrial nation without universal health care. Part Two: Government Organizations that Develop, Fund, and Administer Health Policy (1789-Today) Examines the role each branch of government plays in the forming, executing, and regulating health care policies. The authors examine the origins, organization, budget, and function of major government organizations including the FDA, CDC, and VA. An exploration of legal oversight and the roles states play in the health sector round out this section. Part Three: Contemporary Health Policy Issues: Goals and Initiatives (1920s-Today) Explores the wide range of players in the health care sphere and the role the government plays, particularly in funding them. Special attention is paid to policy issues surrounding medical research and medical professions. This section also looks at the ethical issues in play when making health policy and the inequalities that have plagued the U.S. health care system. Part Four: Contemporary Health Policy Issues: People and Policies (1960s-Today) This part of the book looks in-depth at health disparities in the U.S., health challenges particular to specific groups, mental health, obesity, and the influence of interest groups. Part Five: U.S. Response to Global Health Challenges (1980s-Today) The last section of the book looks beyond the borders of the United States and the serious challenges posed by our increasingly connected world.

"The Nation has lost sight of its public health goals and has allowed the system of public health to fall into 'disarray'," from The Future of Public Health. This startling book contains proposals for ensuring that public health service programs are efficient and effective enough to deal not only with the topics of today, but also with those of tomorrow. In addition, the authors make recommendations for core functions in public health assessment, policy development, and service assurances, and identify the level of government--federal, state, and local--at which these functions would best be handled.

Advances in medical, biomedical and health services research have reduced the level of uncertainty in clinical practice. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) complement this progress by establishing standards of care backed by strong scientific evidence. CPGs are statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care. These statements are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and costs of alternative care options. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust examines the current state of clinical practice guidelines and how they can be improved to enhance healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Clinical practice guidelines now are ubiquitous in our healthcare system. The Guidelines International Network (GIN) database currently lists more than 3,700 guidelines from 39 countries. Developing guidelines presents a number of challenges including lack of transparent methodological practices, difficulty reconciling conflicting guidelines, and conflicts of interest. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust explores questions surrounding the quality of CPG development processes and the establishment of standards. It proposes eight standards for developing trustworthy clinical practice guidelines emphasizing transparency; management of conflict of interest ; systematic review-guideline development intersection; establishing evidence foundations for and rating strength of guideline recommendations; articulation of recommendations; external review; and updating. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust shows how clinical practice guidelines can enhance clinician and patient decision-making by translating complex scientific research findings into recommendations for clinical practice that are relevant to the individual patient encounter, instead of implementing a one size fits all approach to patient care. This book contains information directly related to the work of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as well as various Congressional staff and policymakers. It is a vital resource for medical specialty societies, disease advocacy groups, health professionals, private and international organizations that develop or use clinical practice guidelines, consumers, clinicians, and payers.

Described in the New York Times as “an astonishingly clear ‘user’s manual’ that explains our health care system and the policies that will change it,” The Health Care Handbook, by Drs. Elisabeth Askin and Nathan Moore, offers a practical, neutral, and readable overview of the U.S. health care system in a compact, convenient format. The fully revised third edition provides concise coverage on health care delivery, insurance and economics, policy, and reform—all critical components of the system in which health care professionals work. Written in a conversational and accessible tone, this popular, highly regarded handbook serves as a “one stop shop” for essential facts, systems, concepts, and analysis of the U.S. health care system, providing the tools you need to confidently evaluate current health care policy and controversies.