Health Care USA, Sixth Edition is an ideal text for introductory courses on the organization and delivery of U.S. health care for students in schools of public health, medicine, nursing, dentistry, health administration, and other health professions. It provides an introduction to the health care system and an overview of the professional, political, social, and economic forces that have shaped it and will continue to do so. The Sixth Edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect the most recent changes of this growing and dynamic industry. Revisions include: Updated data on the size and cost of the U.S. health care system. New information on Managed Care Organizations, PPOs, and HMOs. New information on the variety of efforts of hospitals to reduce medical errors. Developments from the “Freedom Commission on Mental Health” initiative. A new discussion on the hospital competition with privately owned outpatient facilities. Updated Department of Labor estimates on health care personnel and the factors that influence demand and utilization. New data on the number of un- or under-insured Americans. A new discussion of government and private insurer cost savings initiatives through education and case management. A new discussion of the effect of the influx of Iraq War causalities on VA services. Updates on federal, state, and local public health initiatives in emergency preparedness. and much more!

Managed Care

Introduction to Health Care Delivery:A Primer for Pharmacists, Fifth Edition provides students with a current and comprehensive overview of the U.S. health care delivery system from the perspective of the pharmacy profession. Each thoroughly updated chapter of this best-selling text includes real-world case studies, learning objectives, chapter review questions, questions for further discussion, and updated key topics and terms. New and expanded topics include public health, pharmacoepidemiology, cultural competence, and leadership. Patient-Provider dialogues are also included to help students apply key concepts. Instructor Resources include a Transition Guide, PowerPoint Presentations, and an Instructor's Manual.Key Features* Case Scenario per Chapter* Learning Objectives* Chapter Review Questions* Doctor/Patient Scripts* Questions for Further Discussion* ReferencesEach new textbook includes an online code to access the Student Resources available on the Companion Website. Online access may also be purchased separately.*Please note: Electronic/eBook formats do not include access to the Companion Website.

This textbook on Healthcare Management provides a systematic and comprehensive overview of the organisational forms and management instruments implemented in managed care. Within the international discussion on the structure of healthcare systems, managed care is an increasingly important topic. Over more than twenty years managed care approaches have fundamentally influenced healthcare systems in terms of patient orientation, efficiency, and quality. Experts assume that up to 20% of healthcare expenses can be saved by applying high-quality managed care approaches. By using suitable organisational forms and management principles, not only can costs be reduced, but the quality of medical service provision can be augmented. Managed care is therefore much more than a cost-cutting strategy. Advocates consider managed care to be a logical and necessary developmental step in modern healthcare systems. An increase in quality and at the same time a reduction of costs is not seen as contradictory but rather as consistent. Therefore, managed care is a response to changed challenges in the provision of healthcare.​

This volume deals with the topic of health inequalities and health disparities. The volume is divided into five sections. The first section includes an introductory look at the issue of health care inequalities and disparities and also an introduction to the volume. One of the backdrops to this topic in the United States was The National Healthcare Disparities Report and its focus on the ability of Americans to access health care and variation in the quality of care. Disparities related to socioeconomic status were included, as were disparities linked to race and ethnicity and the report also tried to explore the relationship between race/ethnicity and socioeconomic position, as explained in more detail in the first article in the book. The second article discusses a newer overall approach to issues related to health inequalities and health disparities. The remaining four sections of the book address more specific topics relating to inequalities and disparities. The second section examines racial and ethnic inequalities and disparities. The third section includes articles that address the issue from the perspective of research about health care providers and health care facilities. The last two sections of the book focus on consumers and topics of health care disparities, with Section 4 focused on issues related to substance abuse, mental health and related concerns. Section 5 includes articles looking at issues of vulnerable women, women with breast cancer and people with colorectal cancer. "Inequalities and Disparities in Health Care and Health" is important reading for medical sociologists and people working in other social science disciplines studying health-related issues. The volume also provides vital information for health services researchers, policy analysts and public health researchers. The chapters focus on the topics of health inequalities and health disparities. The book is essential for medical sociologists and others in social science industries studying health-related issues.

In a clear, cohesive format, this book provides a concise survey of the basic structures and operations of the U.S. health system from ists historical origins and resources, to its individual services, cost, and quality.