Ethical dilemmas in the areas of health care and policy making are not new, but in recent years the frequency and diversity of these have grown considerably. All health professionals now have to consider the ethical implications of an increasing array of treatments, interventions and health promotion activities on an almost daily basis. This goes hand in hand with increasing medical knowledge, and the growth of new and innovative medical technologies and pharmaceuticals. Along with this, the same technology and knowledge is increasing professional and public awareness of new potential public health threats (e.g. pandemic influenza), all of which means that ethical concerns are going to be more central than ever before. At the level of public policy, concerns over the rising costs of health care have led to a more explicit focus on 'health promotion', and the surveillance of both 'patients' and the so-called 'worried well' which is not without difficulty. Health professionals and policy makers also have to consider the implications of managing these risks, for example restricting individual liberty through enforced quarantine (in the wake of SARS, and more recently, swine flu) and the more general distribution of harms and benefits. Balancing the rights and responsibilities of individuals and wider populations is becoming more complex and problematic. There is clearly a need to develop this debate and this book will play a key role in opening out a discussion of public health ethics. It examines the principles and values that support an ethical approach to public health practice and provides examples of some of the complex areas which those practising, analysing and planning the health of populations have to navigate. It will therefore be essential reading for current practitioners, those involved in public health research and a valuable aid for anyone interested in examining the tensions within and the development of public health.

This book considers the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the delivery of physical assets, infrastructure and technologies and related clinical services, in the health sector. The PPP model represents the most complex form of contracting transaction yet to have emerged in the health sector, owing to its long-term character, financial complexity, and risk-allocation mechanisms. This book draws on the lessons of policy-makers, managers and private companies to address the specific challenges in the health sector. It is the reference guide to PPPs in health, presenting the theory, evidence and practice, and making them operationally relevant to all PPP stakeholders.

This comprehensive book looks at COVID-19, along with other recent infectious disease outbreaks, with the broad aim of providing constructive lessons and critical reflections from across a wide range of perspectives and disciplinary interests within the risk analysis field. The chapters in this edited volume probe the roles of risk communication, risk perception, and risk science in helping to manage the ever-growing pandemic that was declared a public health emergency of international concern in the beginning of 2020. A few chapters in the book also include relevant content discussing past disease outbreaks, such as Zika, Ebola and MERS-CoV. This book distils past and present knowledge, appraises current responses, introduces new ideas and data, and offers key recommendations, which will help illuminate different aspects of the global health crisis. It also explores how different constructive insights offered from a 'risk perspective' might inform decisions on how best to proceed in response as the pandemic continues. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Risk Research.

Written for health care leaders at all levels, Beyond Managed Care identifies and assesses the key factors most likely to influence the future market for health care services-such as consumer empowerment through the Internet and the increasing demands of the aging baby boomer population-and shows providers what adjustments can be made in order to thrive in this emerging environment. The authors analyze the factors driving health care costs such as changing demographics, new medical technology, genetic and new drug research, and payment system models. The book clearly shows that organizations that are able to take organizations to the next value-added level--by providing quality, access, service, innovation, and lower costs--will be the winners.

Unique selling point: The Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and analytics are studied on how they can combat pandemics Core audience: Researchers and medical informatics professionals Place in the market: Academic reference title on timely topic also appealing to professionals

This book presents the findings of systematic research into the healthcare medicine management policies of China. In-depth comprehensive research has been carried out, targeting multiple issues of particular importance in healthcare medicine management, such as the purchasing, pricing, payment, usage, and the function of commercial healthcare insurance in medical payment. The book goes on to put forward policy advice regarding the aforementioned issues.

* The book is balanced and comprehensive, recognising that both affordability and investment into innovation are necessary * The book is original, using ecological concepts to understand pharmaceutical innovation as an ecosystem. * The book is unique in its research foundation, building on the views of more than 70 expert informants from all parts of the pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem and all sides of the debate about drug pricing.

* The book is balanced and comprehensive, recognising that both affordability and investment into innovation are necessary * The book is original, using ecological concepts to understand pharmaceutical innovation as an ecosystem. * The book is unique in its research foundation, building on the views of more than 70 expert informants from all parts of the pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem and all sides of the debate about drug pricing.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of many and taught us the critical importance of taking care of one's health and wellness. Technological advances, coupled with advances in healthcare, has enabled the widespread growth of a new area called mobile health or mHealth that has completely revolutionized how people envision healthcare today. Just as smartphones and tablet computers are rapidly becoming the dominant consumer computer platforms, mHealth technology is emerging as an integral part of consumer health and wellness management regimes. The aim of this book is to inform readers about the this relatively modern technology, from its history and evolution to the current state-of-the-art research developments and the underlying challenges related to privacy and security issues. The book's intended audience includes individuals interested in learning about mHealth and its contemporary applications, from students to researchers and practitioners working in this field. Both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in college-level healthcare courses will find this book to be an especially useful companion and will be able to discover and explore novel research directions that will further enrich the field.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of many and taught us the critical importance of taking care of one's health and wellness. Technological advances, coupled with advances in healthcare, has enabled the widespread growth of a new area called mobile health or mHealth that has completely revolutionized how people envision healthcare today. Just as smartphones and tablet computers are rapidly becoming the dominant consumer computer platforms, mHealth technology is emerging as an integral part of consumer health and wellness management regimes. The aim of this book is to inform readers about the this relatively modern technology, from its history and evolution to the current state-of-the-art research developments and the underlying challenges related to privacy and security issues. The book's intended audience includes individuals interested in learning about mHealth and its contemporary applications, from students to researchers and practitioners working in this field. Both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in college-level healthcare courses will find this book to be an especially useful companion and will be able to discover and explore novel research directions that will further enrich the field.

"Health Disparities Among Under-served Populations: Implications for Research, Policy and Praxis", focuses on a topic of national concern. Both disparities in health status and in health care reflect the continuing power of race, social class, and gender as forces that define the social determinants of health and the social, biological, and physical environments where groups live. Chapters focus on key issues that include substance abuse, psychological coping, trauma, infant mortality, HPV, environmental hazards, teen pregnancy, homeless youth, racism, discrimination, and cultural competence. The scholars who have contributed to this volume showcase their insight and keen analyses of these pressing issues through a variety of lenses, including but not limited to, sociology, economics, psychology, education, public health, history, urban studies, nursing, and environmental activism. This anthology critically examines the devastating impact of race, class, and gender on the health and health care of African Americans, Latinos and American Indians, with particular focus on children and adolescents.

Fully updated edition of the bestselling book in healthcare operations. Practical case studies are used throughout to provide invaluable resources for training students and practitioners in healthcare. An ideal resource for students of healthcare management at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It can also be used by practitioners. The book translates complex operational models for busy practising healthcare professionals so that the methods can be easily applied to a workplace scenario.

This book analyses the development and use of mathematical models in public health research and policy. By introducing a life cycle metaphor, the author provides a unique perspective on how mathematical modelling techniques have increased our understanding of the governance of infectious risks in society.

This book presents recent work on healthcare management and engineering using artificial intelligence and data mining techniques. Specific topics covered in the contributed chapters include predictive mining, decision support, capacity management, patient flow optimization, image compression, data clustering, and feature selection. The content will be valuable for researchers and postgraduate students in computer science, information technology, industrial engineering, and applied mathematics.

This book explores the methods and approach necessary to investigate the setting up and running of a health system. It will enable the reader to begin to investigate his own health system, and compare and contrast it with other systems. The continual monitoring of change allows for the detection and identification of longitudinal trends within and across systems, and evolution in systems can then occur. Looking at systems can furnish alternative ideas, and help to establish new models of care. The book presents a modular approach to analysing health care systems, and the author explains how this can be put to practical use. Topics are discussed at both conceptual and operational levels, and methods of applying the approach are outlined. Case histories illustrate the use of the modular approach in `real life' situations. An appendix of terms and concepts is provided to facilitate use.

Clinical Integration is a ground-breaking book that outlines successful approaches to achieving clinical integration and narrowing the gap between those who provide patient care services and those who design health systems.

Written by clinicians, executives, and managers who have implemented integrated delivery systems within health care organizations, Clinical Integration is filled with practical strategies and illustrative case examples that can be used to make integration a reality. The book offers guidance for implementing field-tested mechanisms, such as systemwide information systems, clinical paths, case management, process improvement, and outcomes management. It outlines methods that foster and strengthen clinical integration and details how to
Create information systems that can support care coordination and management across delivery sites
Implement a CareMap system that will create more clinical standardization and more coordinated, cost-effective care for patients
Develop a case management model program for multiprovider systems
Put into place continuous quality improvement, outcomes management, and clinical education programs that can be interrelated to form a powerful integrative engine

Comprehensive in scope, Clinical Integration highlights the vital leadership role executives and governing boards play in making integration a success. It also address the challenges of administrative and physician-system integration with chapters that describe operations within a product service/line structure and outline a multifaceted approach to working with physicians collaboratively.

Health care administrators, physicians, nurses, policymakers, educators, and students will find Clinical Integration to be a balanced blend of theory and practice that contains an abundance of real-world strategies and lessons from pioneers in the field.

Regulating Managed Care

In today's market-driven health care system, issues such as consumer choice, access to specialists, denials of coverage, and "drive-through" methods of care delivery have been thrust to the forefront of the managed care debate. Wanting nothing more than to create a managed care system that is accessible and affordable--to all Americans-- policy makers, clinicians, and consumers are working to find the right balance between competition and regulation that will insure a high quality and compassionate health care system. But regulating markets is no easy task, and individuals-even those with similar objectives-differ on the major questions to be resolved. Can managed care be effectively regulated?
Led by Stuart Altman, Uwe Reinhardt, and David Shactman, Regulating Managed Care brings together twenty-six of the foremost health policy experts, offering the rare opportunity to listen in while they debate this critical social issue. These influential contributors-including managed competition's architect, Alain Enthoven-provide leaders essential background on the critical issues, summarize key survey findings on how Americans feel about managed care, assess what areas are thought to need regulation, and examine the effect of proposed regulation on health care access, cost, and quality.
From policy to practicality, Regulating Managed Care gives health care executives, board members, and policy makers insight into the tough choices facing policy makers and the critical issues involved in ultimately improving the quality of medical services for the communities they serve.

Managing Managed Care

What should be government's role in a market-orientedhealth care system?
What's the appropriate amount of regulation?
Who should regulate-states, federal government, or market forces?
What role do the courts play in this regulation?
Are there existing models that might guide leaders in designing an effective regulatory structure?

Welcome to the great managed care debate. In Regulating Managed Care, twenty-six of the nation's leading health policy experts give health care administrators, clinicians, and policy makers insight into the issues behind this critical exchange and provide leaders with a road map to assess the policy options available to protect the quality of our health care delivery system.

"This collection of papers, from an extraordinary group of authors, makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing policy debate and will be of interest to anyone concerned with the future of our health care system."
--Charles A. Sanders, retired chairman and CEO, Glaxo Inc., and former general director, Massachusetts General Hospital

"This balanced collection of cutting-edge papers reviewing the theory and practice of health regulation is a must read for those who regulate and for those regulated by this market-moving the debate from whether to regulate to how to do this most difficult task more effectively."
--W. David Helms, CEO, Association for Health Services Research and president, Alpha Center

In recent years, there has been steady increase in the interest shown in both big data analytics and the use of information technology (IT) solutions to improve healthcare services. Despite the growing interest, there are limited materials, to addressing the needs and challenges posed by the activities and processes including the use of big data. From IT solutions' perspectives, this book aims to advance the deployment and use of big data analytics to increase patients' big data usefulness and improve healthcare service delivery. The book provides significant insights and useful guide on how to access and manage big data, in improving healthcare service delivery. The book contributes a fresh perspective, which primarily comes from the complementary use of analytics approach with actor-network theory (ANT), and other techniques, in advancing healthcare service delivery. Accessing and managing healthcare big data have always been a challenging exercise. Due to the sensitivity of the health sector, the focus on patients' big data is from either technical or social perspective. Thus, the book employs sociotechnical theories, ANT and structuration theory (ST) as lenses to examine and explain the factors that enable and constrain the use of patients' big data for health services. By doing so, the book brings a different dimension and advance health service delivery. Providing a timely and important contribution to this critical area, this book is a valuable, international resource for academics, postgraduate students and researchers in the areas of IT, big data analytics, data management and health informatics.

Unique selling point: Combines theory with practice and applications for advanced intelligent healthcare informatics Core audience: Researchers and academics in healthcare informatics and machine learning Place in the market: Reference work

'One of the most beautiful books you will ever read' Kate Mosse In this powerful memoir, Joanna Cannon tells her story as a junior doctor in visceral, heart-rending snapshots. We walk with her through the wards, facing extraordinary and daunting moments: from attending her first post-mortem, sitting with a patient through their final moments, to learning the power of a well- or badly chosen word. These moments, and the small sustaining acts of kindness and connection that punctuate hospital life, teach her that emotional care and mental health can be just as critical as restoring a heartbeat. In a profession where weakness remains a taboo, this moving, beautifully written book brings to life the vivid, human stories of doctors and patients - and shows us why we need to take better care of those who care for us.

Protecting Patient Information: A Decision-Maker's Guide to Risk, Prevention, and Damage Control provides the concrete steps needed to tighten the information security of any healthcare IT system and reduce the risk of exposing patient health information (PHI) to the public. The book offers a systematic, 3-pronged approach for addressing the IT security deficits present in healthcare organizations of all sizes. Healthcare decision-makers are shown how to conduct an in-depth analysis of their organization's information risk level. After this assessment is complete, the book offers specific measures for lowering the risk of a data breach, taking into account federal and state regulations governing the use of patient data. Finally, the book outlines the steps necessary when an organization experiences a data breach, even when it has taken all the right precautions.

This volume presents state-of-the-art reporting on how to measure many of the key variables in health communication. While the focus is on quantitative measures, the editors argue that these measures are centrally important to the study of health communication. The chapters emphasize constructs, scales, and up-to-date reports and evidence about key social science constructs and ways of measuring them, whether your interest is in patient-provider dyadic communication, uncertainty management, self-efficacy, disclosure, social norms, social support, risk perception, health care team performance, message design and effects, health and numerical literacy, communication satisfaction, social influence and persuasion, stigma, health campaigns, reactance, or other topics. Students, researchers, and policymakers will find this book an accessible resource for planning and reviewing research studies and proposals.

Typically entrenched and systemic, healthcare problems require the sort of comprehensive solutions that can only be addressed by a change in culture and a shift in thinking. Organizations around the world are using Lean to redesign care and improve processes in a way that achieves and sustains meaningful results for patients, staff, physicians, and health systems. This book demonstrates how honest appraisal, intelligent planning, and vigilant follow-up have led to dramatic improvements in a variety of healthcare settings across the world. It teaches us how innovative organizations can find sustainable solutions to seemingly intractable problems by following a path guided by Lean Thinking. Lean methods may not solve every healthcare problem, but as these cases prove, changing a culture rather than personnel results in more effective sustainable change. This multi-authored book provides expert descriptions of Lean methods and their application in healthcare, written by the people who developed and tested the methods in healthcare settings. Each chapter brings together a description of the technique or approach, with examples of application in practice from the author's own practice. Authors use an engaging approach to their narrative, with examples from their personal experience or engagement being described to illustrate the practical application of theoretic approaches. In painting a picture of the environment in which these tools and techniques have been applied, readers will understand the transferability to their own workplace environment. This will be an opportunity to tell real stories of the application of Lean in healthcare and give readers the opportunity to learn from people from across the world, on subjects on which they are acknowledged topic experts, based on day-to-day Lean practice.

Over the past decade or so, we have seen a multitude of improvement programmes and projects to improve the safety of patient care in healthcare. However, the full potential of these efforts and especially those that seek to address an entire system has not yet been reached. The current pandemic has made this more evident than ever. We have tended to focus on problems in isolation, one harm at a time, and our efforts have been simplistic and myopic. If we are to save more lives and significantly reduce patient harm, we need to adopt a holistic, systematic approach that extends across cultural, technological, and procedural boundaries. Patient Safety Now is about the fact that it is time to care for everyone impacted by patient safety, how we need to take the time to care for everyone in a meaningful way and how hospitals need to enable staff time to care safely. This book builds on the author's two previous books on patient safety. Rethinking Patient Safety talked about ways in which we need to rethink patient safety in healthcare and describes what we've learned over the last two decades. Implementing Patient Safety talked about what we can do differently and how we can use those lessons learned to improve the way we implement patient safety initiatives and encourage a culture of safety across a healthcare system. Patient Safety Now unites the concepts, theories and ideas of the previous two books with updated material and examples, including what has been learned by patient safety specialists during a pandemic. Patient Safety Now provides the reader with a unique view of patient safety that looks beyond the traditional negative and retrospective approach to one that is proactive and recognizes the impact of conditions, behaviours and cultures that exist in healthcare on everyone. It is written not only for healthcare professionals and patient safety personnel, but for patients and their families who all want the same thing. Too often when things go wrong, relationships quickly become adversarial when in fact this can be avoided by recognizing that, rather than being in separate camps, there are shared needs and goals in relations to patient safety.

"The authors in this inspiring volume focus on the socially transformative potential narrative has to shape understandings of albinism in Africa. Scholars and activists, they reflect on how traditional beliefs, literary fiction, radio, music, photography, film and the arts can bring about social change, and also educate publics about albinism." (Carli Coetzee, Editor, Journal of African Cultural Studies) "Highly intriguing and skillfully nuanced, this book evaluates several methods of advocacy on behalf of people with albinism from Africa, who often face stigma and physical attacks. The result is a rich commentary on what has worked, what didn't and why. This is recommended reading for anyone engaging in advocacy for any marginalized group in parts of Africa and elsewhere." (Ikponwosa Ero, Former UN Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism) The challenges currently faced by people with albinism in many African countries are increasingly becoming a focus of African writers, storytellers, artists and filmmakers across the continent. At the same time, a growing number of advocates and activists are taking account of the power of cultural representation and turning to the arts to convey important messages about albinism - and disability more broadly - to audiences locally and internationally. This volume focuses on the power of cultural representations of albinism, taking into account their real-world effects and implications. Contributions from academics and albinism advocates range across traditional beliefs, literature, radio, newsprint, the media, film and the arts for public engagement, contending that all forms of representation have an important role to play in building sensitivity to the issues related to albinism amongst national and international audiences. Contributors draw attention to the implications of different forms of cultural representation, the potential of these different forms to open up new discursive spaces for the expression of identities and the articulation or critique of particularly difficult issues, and their potential to evoke far-reaching social change.