This is an A-Z reference guide to over 5000 medical terms including symptoms, diseases, drugs and treatments. Since the appearance of the first edition in 1990, significant developments have occured in many areas of medicine. For example, far more internal operations can now be performed by minimally invasive keyhole surgery. Genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, are now understood in far greater depth than before. There has also been a dramatic increase in the number of screening tests for the early detection of diseases.

Today, as never before, healthcare has the ability to enhance the quality and duration of life. At the same time, healthcare has become so costly that it can easily bankrupt governments and impoverish individuals and families. Health services research is a highly multidisciplinary field, including such areas as health administration, health economics, medical sociology, medicine, , political science, public health, and public policy. The Encyclopedia of Health Services Research is the first single reference source to capture the diversity and complexity of the field. With more than 400 entries, these two volumes investigate the relationship between the factors of cost, quality, and access to healthcare and their impact upon medical outcomes such as death, disability, disease, discomfort, and dissatisfaction with care. Key Features Examines the growing healthcare crisis facing the United States Encompasses the structure, process, and outcomes of healthcare Aims to improve the equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of healthcare by influencing and developing public policies Describes healthcare systems and issues from around the globe Key Themes Access to Care Accreditation, Associations, Foundations, and Research Organizations Biographies of Current and Past Leaders Cost of Care, Economics, Finance, and Payment Mechanisms Disease, Disability, Health, and Health Behavior Government and International Healthcare Organizations Health Insurance Health Professionals and Healthcare Organizations Health Services Research Laws, Regulations, and Ethics Measurement; Data Sources and Coding; and Research Methods Outcomes of Care Policy Issues, Healthcare Reform, and International Comparisons Public Health Quality and Safety of Care Special and Vulnerable Groups The Encyclopedia is designed to be an introduction to the various topics of health services research for an audience including undergraduate students, graduate students, andgeneral readers seeking non-technical descriptions of the field and its practices. It is also useful for healthcare practitioners wishing to stay abreast of the changes and updates in the field.

"An A-to-Z reference guide to over 5,000 medical terms including symptoms, diseases, drugs and treatments"--Jacket subtitle.

This is a brand new, state-of-the art consumer medical encyclopedia from America's most trusted authority, aimed at the 30+ reader who still trusts a distinguished reference book more than the Internet, and who cares profoundly about his or her own health and that of the whole family. The AMA literally started from scratch to produce this book, so it is in no way to be considered a revision of any previously published title. Special features include: a mil-color Atlas of the Body; sections on 21st century medicine including genetics, brain imaging, robotic surgery, and other cutting edge topics; 40 symptom charts; and a heavily illustrated First Aid section with stcp-by-step suggestions for handling common injuries at home. It has extensive coverage of Alternative Medicine: 80 separate entries and several sidebars that cover the latest in alternative therapies, all edited and reviewed by physicians involved in alternative medicine. The fact that AMA is addressing alternative medicine when the competition largely avoids the topic proves that they know what today's health care consumer wants. AMA Complete Medical Encyclopedia devotes considerable space to mental health issues, with 229 entries on a wide range of Psychiatry topics. It has 129 entries on nutrition, and also covers exercise, sports medicine, and cosmetic surgery. It covers death and dying; home care; geriatric concerns; and specific life stages. Every entry, sidebar, illustration and feature was reviewed by one or more medical doctors, and specialists from dozens of fields reviewed me text and art for accuracy. The book has 6,000 entries covering about 2,000 illnesses and definitions for about 500 different tests and surgical procedures, plus a complete pharmacology section. It has more than 1,750 illustrations, all of which were created for this book, including 32 pages of color.