Unraveling U S Health Care

In illuminating detail,Winter offers a consumer guide to health care in the U.S. that includes performance metrics by state, patient safety rankings for hospitals, statewide surveys on patient safety laws, analysis of high quality centers for medical tourism, state licensing requirements for holistic health care, and information on the 2010 health care reforms with 2014 implementation guidelines.

In "The Predictable Surprise", Sylvester J. Schieber shows that forewarnings of the coming retirement crisis have been apparent for decades, but we have never mustered the political will to address the problem. This book explains how we have gotten into the retirement predicament and where we can go from here.

Antonovsky's book challenges the health care community to reassess its approach to health. He asserts that the focus for too long has been solely on illness and the treatment of specific disease, with little or no attention directed at the factors and conditions necessary for health. The author offers a way to evaluate the psychological, social, and cultural factors that relate to health and well-being. Antonovsky presents a model that he calls the ``sense of coherence'' (SOC), suggesting that the way people make sense of the world is a major factor in their health. He provides, as an appendix, a questionnaire for assessing the SOC for individuals to evaluate and predict how well they manage stress and stay healthy. This model was presented by Antonovsky in an earlier work, but this volume provides more detail on both the theoretical and research database for the SOC. Insight is provided on how SOC affects neuroendocrine and immunological processes and thus overall health. The conceptual framework presented in this book is useful and important. The writing style, however, is often cumbersome, making for difficult reading. In addition, the author assumes readers are familiar with his earlier work, Health, Stress and Coping (CH, Jan '80); readers not acquainted with its content will find it difficult to follow the ideas being presented. In spite of these shortcomings, the book sets an important direction for thought in the evolution of health promotion strategies.

Health care reform has dominated public discourse over the past several years, and the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act, rather than quell the rhetoric, has sparked even more debate. Donald A. Barr reviews the current structure of the American health care system, describing the historical and political contexts in which it developed and the core policy issues that continue to confront us today. This comprehensive analysis introduces the various organizations and institutions that make the U.S. health care system work—or fail to work, as the case may be. A principal message of the book is the seeming paradox of the quality of health care in this country—on the one hand it is the best medical care system in the world, on the other it is one of the worst among developed countries because of how it is organized. Barr introduces readers to broad cultural issues surrounding health care policy, such as access, affordability, and quality. He discusses specific elements of U.S. health care, including insurance, especially Medicare and Medicaid, the shift to for-profit managed care, the pharmaceutical industry, issues of long-term care, the plight of the uninsured, medical errors, and nursing shortages. The latest edition of this widely adopted text updates the description and discussion of key sectors of America’s health care system in light of the Affordable Care Act.

A unique exploration of the transformative experience of motherhood delving into its mental and emotional impact. Unraveling Motherhood includes conversations and real insights about maternal mental health, identity, vulnerabilities, and more for anyone who is lost in the blur of the voices in their minds, the overload, and the overwhelm. In this honest, reflective and relatable book, journalist and mother of two Geraldine Walsh includes a motivational toolkit for anyone navigating motherhood. Birthed from her own varying experiences of mental well-being, Geraldine Walsh discusses aspects of motherhood all pertaining to how one untangles this role. Unraveling Motherhood finds a balance between research, personal experiences, and workable processes that will leave readers feeling validated. Included within its chapters are helpful insights on how to look at situations differently and listen to one's mind in appropriate ways, along with added discussions with psychologists, exercises and journaling. Key discussion topics include: How to handle expectations vs. the reality of motherhood Managing wellness and mental health during the early months/years Developing healthy habits for proper and holistic self-compassion Learning to reconcile identity before motherhood to the one afterwards Identifying ‘outside influences’ (culture, friends/family, media, etc.) which affect how you evaluate yourself as a mother Unraveling Motherhood considers motherhood as a tightly woven knot of physical, mental, emotional and social changes... and then seeks to unravel that knot. Unraveling is good; stitching up is better—but when the pattern is not working out the way we were hoping, we must first unravel to start again.

Drawing from the perspectives of a variety of disciplines, this innovative text is unlike any others of its kind. Health Policy Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Fourth Edition analyzes current U.S. health policy and proposes various alternatives for developing future health policy without pushing a single solution set—rather, it considers the viewpoints of health economics, political science, health technology assessment, evaluation, and health services research. Expanded to cover the entire health policy cycle, the Fourth Edition is organized into five sections, beginning with an exploration of the current and historical issues with the U.S. healthcare system and consideration of the alternatives for future policy that have strong support. It then reviews the political processes that influence planning in various healthcare settings; presents the accepted methods of economic and financial analysis; and addresses the ethical and other value considerations that must factor into

This book is the principal account of epidemiology’s role in the development of effective measures to identify, prevent, and treat diseases. Throughout history, epidemiologists have challenged conventional knowledge, elucidating mysteries of causality and paving the way for remedies. From the outbreak of the bubonic plague, cholera, and cancer to the search for an effective treatment of AIDS and the origins of Alzheimer’s disease, epidemiological thought has been crucial in shaping our understanding of population health issues. Alfredo Morabia’s lucid retelling sheds new light on the historical triumphs of epidemiological research and allows for contemporary readers, patients, and nontechnical audiences to make sense of the immense amount of health information disseminated by the media. By drawing from both historical and contemporary sources, Morabia provides the reader with the tools to differentiate health beliefs from health knowledge. The book covers important topics, including the H1N1 swine flu epidemic, breast cancer, the effects of aspirin, and the link between cigarettes and lung cancer. Enigmas of Health and Disease is a concise narrative helping patients and health providers develop a more informed relationship.

"This text is about the process of developing health policy relevant to the United States. We have included the perspectives of a number of disciplines and professions. We have drawn heavily on our personal experiences and backgrounds, which include economics, political science, management, communications, and public health. We have also drawn on the experiences of other countries"--