Many Americans believe that people who lack health insurance somehow get the care they really need. Care Without Coverage examines the real consequences for adults who lack health insurance. The study presents findings in the areas of prevention and screening, cancer, chronic illness, hospital-based care, and general health status. The committee looked at the consequences of being uninsured for people suffering from cancer, diabetes, HIV infection and AIDS, heart and kidney disease, mental illness, traumatic injuries, and heart attacks. It focused on the roughly 30 million-one in seven-working-age Americans without health insurance. This group does not include the population over 65 that is covered by Medicare or the nearly 10 million children who are uninsured in this country. The main findings of the report are that working-age Americans without health insurance are more likely to receive too little medical care and receive it too late; be sicker and die sooner; and receive poorer care when they are in the hospital, even for acute situations like a motor vehicle crash.

"[This book is] the most authoritative assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of recent trends toward the commercialization of health care," says Robert Pear of The New York Times. This major study by the Institute of Medicine examines virtually all aspects of for-profit health care in the United States, including the quality and availability of health care, the cost of medical care, access to financial capital, implications for education and research, and the fiduciary role of the physician. In addition to the report, the book contains 15 papers by experts in the field of for-profit health care covering a broad range of topicsâ€"from trends in the growth of major investor-owned hospital companies to the ethical issues in for-profit health care. "The report makes a lasting contribution to the health policy literature." â€"Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.

Among the issues confronting America is long-term care for frail, older persons and others with chronic conditions and functional limitations that limit their ability to care for themselves. Improving the Quality of Long-Term Care takes a comprehensive look at the quality of care and quality of life in long-term care, including nursing homes, home health agencies, residential care facilities, family members and a variety of others. This book describes the current state of long-term care, identifying problem areas and offering recommendations for federal and state policymakers. Who uses long-term care? How have the characteristics of this population changed over time? What paths do people follow in long term care? The committee provides the latest information on these and other key questions. This book explores strengths and limitations of available data and research literature especially for settings other than nursing homes, on methods to measure, oversee, and improve the quality of long-term care. The committee makes recommendations on setting and enforcing standards of care, strengthening the caregiving workforce, reimbursement issues, and expanding the knowledge base to guide organizational and individual caregivers in improving the quality of care.

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.

The completely revised and updated Third Edition of Risk Management in Health Care Institutions: Limiting Liability and Enhancing Care covers the basic concepts of risk management, employment practices, and general risk management strategies, as well as specific risk areas, including medical malpractice, strategies to reduce liability, managing positions, and litigation alternatives. This edition also emphasizes outpatient medicine and the risks associated with electronic medical records. Risk Management in Health Care Institutions: Limiting Liability and Enhancing Care, Third Edition offers readers the opportunity to organize and devise a successful risk management program, and is the perfect resource for governing boards, CEOs, administrators, risk management professionals, and health profession students.

This book is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to nursing practice, policy, and procedure in a geriatric chronic care settings. Ideal as a stand alone reference, or as a companion to any of the various MDS assessment manuals.

This book addresses current issues surrounding hospital admissions and readmissions and the practice of post-acute and long-term care (LTC). Now in its fully revised and expanded third edition, it contains the most up-to-date knowledge and regulations pertinent to practice in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Post-Acute and Long-Term Medicine is divided into four main sections. The first section is an introduction to long-term care. It includes chapters on home health care, assisted living and residential care, department of veteran affairs and nursing facilities, among others. The second section focuses on clinical medicine in post-acute and long-term care and contains chapters on common clinical conditions, preventing hospital admissions and readmissions, palliative care, weight and nutrition and wound care. The third section details psychosocial aspects of post-acute and long-term care. Chapters in this section describe dementia, delirium, depression, ethical and legal issues and caring for families. The fourth and final section centers on special issues in post-acute and long-term care. This section focuses on documentation and coding, medication management and rehabilitation and maximizing function. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to two very important new chapters in this section. One chapter discusses challenges and opportunities in post-acute long-term care that have arisen during the pandemic. Another new chapter talks about the importance of virtual care and telemedicine in post-acute and long-term care amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Written by experts in the field, many of whom have worked within AMDA – The Society for Post-acute and Long-term Care Medicine - to create and disseminate a knowledge base for post-acute and LTC, this is a valuable resource for clinicians and educators seeking to maximize the care and living experience of residents in post-acute and long-term care settings.