Healthcare delivery reform initiatives focus on improving the quality of patient care while also increasing the efficiency of existing healthcare programs. Healthcare Delivery Reform and New Technologies: Organizational Initiatives contains cross-disciplinary research on strategic initiatives for healthcare reform that impact not only patients, but also organizations, healthcare providers, and policymakers. Contributions focus on the operational as well as theoretical aspects of healthcare management, healthcare delivery processes, and patient-centered initiatives.

In this fascinating and richly illustrated book, John Henderson takes us into the Renaissance hospitals of Florence, recreating the enormous barn-like wards and exploring the lives of those who received and those who administered treatment there. Drawing on an exceptional range of visual and documentary evidence, Henderson overturns the popular view of the pre-industrial hospital as a hellish destination for the dying poor. To the contrary, hospitals of the era developed specialized, professional care; became important centers of artistic patronage; and served a large patient population, only ten percent of whom died during their stay. The book explores the civic role of Renaissance hospitals, their beautiful architecture and interior design, and their methods of medical treatment that continue to influence healthcare practices today.

Despite the fact that more than 80 per cent of mental health care users make use of African indigenous practitioners, previous texts on mental health care in Africa have focused predominantly on sharpening Western-based competence, while paying scant attention to local African practices. A more holistic view is needed to reconnect mental health practitioners with the African community where value systems are rooted and transmitted, and thus allow them to provide better care. Mental health care in Africa is an evidence-based practice and research book focusing equally on Western and African indigenous mental health care practices so that the best can be taken from both. Mental health care in Africa starts to exert the African epistemology and ways of practice, without undermining the contribution of Western health care. Including African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) allows for broader dialogue and encourages original debate on concepts such as self-determination, informed consent, appropriate and relevant assessment, and care in the mental health arena. Contents include the following: Review of Western psychoeducation and findings in the African indigenous context; Planning and conducting therapeutic groups; Therapeutic interaction in HIV and AIDS care: an African approach; Management of aggressive and violent mental health care users; Sensory stimulation in mental health care users with dementia; Medicinal management; Substance rehabilitation and primary mental health care. Mental health care in Africa is aimed at mental health care practitioners and undergraduate students at universities and nursing colleges.

Caution Reading this book in it's entirety may cause the following side effects: Surprise, Anger, Disbelief, and even Amusement. We begin by revealing the little known, inside workings of the pharmaceutical industry, based on the experiences of people who have worked there. Why do you think it is that your drugs cost so much? Is it because of all the high tech 'stuff' that goes into making it? Or is it something else that might shock or even anger you? What goes on behind the scenes often has nothing whatsoever to do with science. This leads to the second part which has to do with our health and the things you may not even realize are making us all sick. This is not just another 'eat right and exercise' book. You will discover information you have never heard before. There are even things that have been proven to harm you but have been covered up or ignored, and even encouraged, as long as there is money to be made. Do you like investigative reporting? Do you like history, or science fiction? Do you have a taste for the macabre? Are you concerned about declining health care, government and military cover ups, or the high cost of medicine? Written with some humor and at times a touch of sarcasm, there is a little bit of something here for everyone. You may or may not agree with some of the things in this book, but once you start reading it, your curiosity will make you want to pick it up again and again until you are finished.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, computational intelligence and computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have supported the effective treatment of the virus. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been playing a significant role in the rapidly emerging healthcare sector in terms of CAD, software algorithms, hardware implementation, and applications in the medical field. Through this, the constraints of the traditional system must be addressed to innovate and shed light on emerging healthcare technologies. Computational Intelligence and Applications for Pandemics and Healthcare explores the state-of-the-art computational intelligence approaches in medical data and classifies existing computational techniques used in medical areas. It discusses the tactics and methods as well as the limitations and performances of computational intelligence applications for healthcare. The constraints of traditional healthcare systems are addressed by using CAD and computationally-intelligent medical data. Covering topics such as cloud-based monitoring systems, detection and diagnosis, and intelligent medical systems, this book is an excellent resource for computer scientists, government officials, medical students, medical professionals, hospitals, researchers, and academicians.

This issue of Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, guest edited by Drs. Anthony J. Viera and Devdutta Sangvai, is devoted to Population Health. Articles in this issue include: What is Population Health?; Measuring Health; Prevention as a Population Health Strategy; Value-Based Care; The Business Case for Population Health Management; Primary Care Transformation; Patient Engagement; Quality Improvement Principles and Practice; Lean Management; Population Health and AMCs: High cost meets high efficiency; Models of Population Health Management; Tools for Population Health Management; Clinically Integrated Networks; Assessing and Addressing Social Determinants of Health; and Population Health Policies.

Recent advancements in medical technology, such as telehealth services, have influenced the healthcare sector tremendously. While telehealth technology and its application are not new, it has not been widely utilized despite the numerous benefits and opportunities it provides. However, recent policy changes have lowered obstacles to telehealth access and pushed the use of telemedicine to deliver acute, chronic, primary, and specialist care. In order to successfully integrate this technology in all areas of healthcare, further study is required to fully understand the best practices and challenges of adoption. Advancement, Opportunities, and Practices in Telehealth Technology discusses advances in the digital health technology and telemedicine domains as well as key challenges, solutions, and opportunities regarding their use in healthcare. The book also introduces critical communication protocols, interconnections, system designs, and developments that are extensively used in the present-day telehealth process. Covering a wide range of topics such as digital twins, big data analytics, and robotics, this reference work is an ideal resource for engineers, industry professionals, hospital administration, policymakers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.

"Hospital Preparation for Bioterror" provides an extremely timely guide to improving the readiness of hospitals or healthcare organizations to manage mass casualties as a result of bioterrorism, biological warfare, and natural disasters. Contributions from leading law enforcement agencies, hospital administrators, clinical engineers, surgeons and terror-prevention professionals provide the most comprehensive, well-rounded source for this valuable information. Chapters on logistics and protecting the infrastructure help personnel distinguish the specific risks and vulnerabilities of each unique institution and assists in identifying specific solutions for disaster and bioterrorism preparedness.
-Principles and techniques discussed are applicable to all disasters, both large and small, not just bioterrorism
-Technical aspects such as hospital power and telecommunications are covered, in addition to patient care, response to mass casualties, large-scale drills, and surge capacity.
-Organized along functional lines, patient flow, medical specialty, and infrastructure
-A complimentary website with supplementary materials, check-lists, and references enhances the text and provides additional resources for preparedness.

Health care organizations have made investments in health information technologies such as electronic health records, health information exchanges, and many more, which have increased the importance of Health Information Technology studies. Cases on Healthcare Information Technology for Patient Care Management highlights the importance of understanding the potential challenges and lessons learned from past technology implementations. This comprehensive collection of case studies aims to help improve the understanding of the process as well as challenges faced and lessons learned through implementation of health information technologies.

This unique resource is an ideal career-planning guide for advanced practice students, recent graduates, and practicing nurse practitioners who want to expand their careers. It's filled with helpful guidelines and proven strategies for success in every aspect of NP practice, including certification and licensure, finding and negotiating a practice opportunity, and developing community and professional partnerships. Guidelines for completing the necessary requirements for certification and licensure Tips for finding and negotiating a practice opportunity Strategies for using available technology and tools, such as the internet and PDAs, to create a successful clinical practice environment Ideas for developing a community partnership by creating successful professional and clinical contacts in the community Practical advice on how best to market oneself and interview with potential employers Key information on establishing systems in practice, using tools to enhance clinical judgment, and other important responsibilities related to clinical practice A wealth of real-world examples, including resumes, collaborative agreements, contracts, business plans, billing and coding, and productivity flowcharts, provide essential resources for a successful practice

The National Health Service is the most enduring of the institutions created by the first real Labour Government (1945-51). Before the NHS was created, treatment of ill health was provided by doctors in their surgeries and in hospitals, all of which had to be paid for by the patients. Many poorer families paid their GP's a monthly sum as they were usually in arrears with the fees. The Labour Government's vision was for a health service free for everybody and this was launched in 1948, with Aneurin Bevan as first Minister for Health. Now after nearly seventy years, with the costs of the NHS running at some GBP120 billions annually, and threatened by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act, the NHS is in danger of being classed as any other utility, gas, water, electricity and is imminent danger of marketization and commercialisation. In his book The Health of the Nation, David Owen has explained the consequences of the 2012 Act and the damage to the NHS that will result. Those most affected will be those who can least afford good health care. This book presents a powerful case for the repeal of the 2012 Act and for the restoration of the NHS to its traditional values.