Psychosomatic Health is an exploration of the relationship between physical and psychological wellbeing. It draws on postmodern and narrative theory to consider the psychosomatic processes which underpin and enhance health. The text adopts a psychoanalytic stance rooted in the work of D.W. Winnicott, and reviews the work of other major psychoanalytic figures on the question of body and mind, enabling students and practitioners to engage with a variety of perspectives. Clearly written and well illustrated with examples throughout, the author makes extensive use of infant observation extracts and real-life case studies to explore the experiences of movement and touch and their meanings for the individual. As a basis for working effectively with psychosomatic disturbance, the author introduces her original concept of 'body storylines'. Case studies explain how this therapeutic approach can be used to encourage therapists to think about their relationship to their experiences, their use of physicality and their use of their bodies as 'barometers of psychological change'. This broad ranging text pulls together contemporary developments from across a range of disciplines, including psychoanalytic theory, clinical psychology, medicine, complementary medicine and philosophy, to demonstrate a better understanding of clinical practice.

Equitable Access to High-Cost Pharmaceuticals seeks to aid the development and implementation of equitable public health policies by pharmaco-economics professionals, health economists, and policymakers. With detailed country-by country analysis of policy and regulation, the Work compares and contrasts national healthcare systems to support researchers and practitioners identify optimal healthcare policy solutions. The Work incorporates chapters on global regulatory changes, health technology assessment guidelines, and competitive effectiveness research recommendations from international bodies such as the OECD or the EU. Novel policies such as horizon scanning, managed-entry agreement and post-launch monitoring are considered in detail. The Work also thoroughly reviews novel pharmaceuticals with particular research interest, including cancer drugs, orphan medicines, Hep C, and personalized medicines.

The book begins with a public health/epidemiologic examination of the situation, with a systematic view of the problem based on classic (infectious disease) epidemiologic principles applied to this behavioral health issue. This application is expanded to take into account the fact that unlike most epidemics in our species' history, a unique factor that must be accounted for in any public health analysis is that the host (opioid-dependent/misusing patient) is generally not under sufficiently strong motivation to avoid the disease. The introduction concludes with a survey of recent containment approaches, categorized epidemiologically by target (agent, vector, host.) The remainder of the book is organized according to this framework, addressing agent, vector/transmission and host, respectively. Sections Three and Four comprise the major focus of the book, and are dedicated primarily to practical education for primary care providers in preventing opioid use disorder, and overcoming it after the fact.

This important new study explores how American health care evolved in the 1990s, as well as the changes in public support and policy. Birenbaum examines where the interests of consumers and professionals have dovetailed and where they differ. He considers the health care systeM's future and suggested ways the system must be adjusted to provide better and wider coverage at reasonable costs. This volume is essential reading for scholars, students, and professionals in the medical field, as well as general readers concerned with health care issues.

The 90s saw the country moving toward a realization that health care had become unaffordable--or an enormous financial burden for people with otherwise adequate incomes. Health care providers and consumers alike worried that the problem was becoming uncontrollable. Doctors saw their autonomy and control eroded, employers saw their costs rising significantly, the costs began shifting to employees, and alternative approaches to cost containment were explored.

The second edition of this acclaimed book offers a critical analysis of the transition from institutional to community care for people with mental health problems. Despite the almost complete abandonment of the old Victorian asylum system, the powerful cultural legacy of segregation remains potent in modern thought. Rogers and Pilgrim analyse the impact of new policies introduced by the Labour government since it came to power in 1997, identifying both the processes and causes of policy change and assessing its value in the context of longer term debates about madness and distress.

This volume analyses the transition of Chinese medicine during the modern era, and the development of product and service niches in selected countries: China, Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines. By investigating the major actors behind the transition, it explores in what way and to what extent these actors affect the transition. It argues that the transnational transition of Chinese medicine is caused not only by spontaneous cultural and social factors, i.e. population growth, technological innovation and acculturation, but also by hegemonic political and economic factors such as Western influence, adoption of the philosophy of modern state, and global commodification of indigenous medical specialties.

The aim of this work is to reduce the risks of medical treatment and e nhance the safety of patients in all areas of healthcare. The first se ction discusses human error, the incidence of harm to patients, and th e development of risk management. Chapters in the second section discu ss the reduction of risk in clinical practice in key medical specialti es. The third section discusses features of the healthcare systems tha t are essential to safe practice, such as communication of risk to pat ients, the design of equipment, supervision and training, and effectiv e teamwork. The fourth section describes how to put risk management in to practice, including the effective and sensitive handling of complai nts and claims, the care of injured patients and the staff involved, a nd the reporting, investigation and analysis of serious incidents.

This timely study analyzes social, economic, political, provider, and patient factors shaping collective patient involvement in European health care from the postwar period to the present day. Examining representative countries England, the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden, it documents the roles of providers and legislatures in facilitating consumer involvement, and the varied forms of patient input into hospital operations. These findings are compared and contrasted against the intent and ideals behind patient involvement to assess the effectiveness of implementation policy, strengths and drawbacks of patient participation, and patient satisfaction and outcomes. The book's conclusions identify emerging forms of patient participation and predict the impact of health policy on the future of European collective patient involvement. Included in the coverage: * Patient involvement: who, what for, and in what way? * The Netherlands: the legislative process to collective patient involvement * England: formal means of public involvement-a continuous story of discontinuity * Germany: Joint Federal Committee-the "Little Legislator" * Sweden: reasons for a late emergence of patient involvement * Lessons to be learned from implementing patient involvement The Evolution and Everyday Practice of Collective Patient Involvement in Europe will interest and inspire scholars and researchers in diverse fields, including social policy, sociology, political sciences, and nursing studies, as well as patient organizations, policymakers, and healthcare providers.

A holistic view of the factors that impact the health of a patient beyond the illness itself, this book examines what it is like to be a patient. It espouses the view that terminal illness may not be a tragedy but, an opportunity for emotional growth. The inadequacies of medical care today are discussed, from the failure of health care professionals to see the person with the disease, to the many ways in which managed-care organizations jeopardize the doctor/patient relationship.

The work reviews concrete ways in which health care professionals can enhance the quality of their care, by remaining compassionate, continuing to offer patients hope (even if their condition is terminal), acknowledging and addressing patients' suffering, and counseling patients so that they can obtain the support needed. A new advocacy role for doctors is presented that enables patients to make advised decisions about their own treatment. This book encourages patients to take back their lives from the diseases that overwhelm them. It also discusses advance directives, living wills, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and do not resuscitate orders. Information is provided to help patients assume self advocacy on end-of-life issues from an emotional perspective as well as a legal perspective.

Health care reforms around the world--from Europe and North America to Africa, Latin America and Asia--seem to all be market-oriented reforms driven by international business interests and right wing political parties. There seems to be a sudden and broad concern with the "efficiency" of medical care, with the assertion that democratically or professionally run systems are inherently inefficient. Far less concern is evident for the more traditional values held regarding medical care, "effectiveness" (or quality) and "equity." The fact is that we have little good cross-national research that systematically addresses the reform issue.

This book addresses that problem, and attempts to look at health care reforms in a number of countries, representing as wide a spectrum as possible, and using a common conceptual framework that allows for comparable information to be gathered and presented on each, despite differing levels of socio-economic development. The authors agreed on a set of models that were thought to provide reasonable guidance in answering the questions of the source of pressures for reform, the alternative modes of organization that have been found in the world in recent years, and the direction of change among those alternatives.

This book is a study of the pioneer early county asylums, which were intended to provide for the 'cure', and 'safe custody' of people suffering from the ravages of insanity. It considers the origins of the asylums, how they were managed, the people who staffed them, their treatment practices, and the experiences of the people who were incarcerated. 'Community care' in the late twentieth century has led us to abandon the network of nineteenth century lunatic asylums. This book reminds us of the ideals that lay behind them. The book contains extensive material regarding particular cities/counties, e.g. Nottingham, Lincoln, Stafford, Wakefield, Lancaster, Bedford, West Riding, Norfolk, Cornwall, Dorset, Suffolk, etc.

Medication management is an essential component of therapeutic success in the treatment of chronic diseases. However, patients who do not regularly take their prescribed medications are a primary concern of health systems worldwide. A significant proportion of patients on chronic medications fail to adhere to their treatments, and suboptimal adherence leads to dire clinical and financial consequences on the personal level. Moreover, non-adherence can adversely impact public healthcare costs and the clinical outcomes of patients. Design and Quality Considerations for Developing Mobile Apps for Medication Management: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a collection of innovative research that combines theory and practice on optimizing strategies to improve medication adherence and overall health and wellbeing in patients through the design of usable and reliable mobile app-based systems. Highlighting a broad range of topics including pharmaceutical care, quality assessment, and health behavior frameworks, this book is ideally designed for clinicians, pharmacists, healthcare providers, programmers, software developers, researchers, academicians, and students.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (known commonly as the NDIS) was introduced as a radical new way of funding disability services in Australia. It is a rare moment in politics and policy making that an idea as revolutionary, ambitious and expensive as the NDIS makes it into its implementation phase. Not surprising, then, that the NDIS has been described by many as the biggest social shift in Australia since Medicare. This book will be a key text for scholars and public policy professionals wishing to understand the NDIS, how it was designed, and lessons learned through its introduction and roll-out. The book addresses how the NDIS has intersected with particular cohorts and sectors, and some of the challenges that have arisen. It highlights the experiences of people with disability through a collection of personal stories from participants and families in the NDIS. The key insights from this large scale public policy experiment are relevant for anyone interested in social change in Australia, or internationally.

This unifying volume offers a clear theoretical framework for the research shaping the emerging direction of informatics in health care. Contributors ground the reader in the basics of informatics methodology and design, including creating salient research questions, and explore the human dimensions of informatics in studies detailing how patients perceive, respond to, and use health data. Real-world examples bridge the theoretical and the practical as knowledge management-based solutions are applied to pervasive issues in information technologies and service delivery. Together, these articles illustrate the scope of health possibilities for informatics, from patient care management to hospital administration, from improving patient satisfaction to expanding the parameters of practice. Highlights of the coverage:* Design science research opportunities in health care * IS/IT governance in health care: an integrative model * Persuasive technologies and behavior modification through technology: design of a mobile application for behavior change * The development of a hospital secure messaging and communication platform: a conceptualization * The development of intelligent patient-centric systems for health care * An investigation on integrating Eastern and Western medicine with informatics Interest in Theories to Inform Superior Health Informatics Research and Practice cuts across academia and the healthcare industry. Its audience includes healthcare professionals, physicians and other clinicians, practicing informaticians, hospital administrators, IT departments, managers, and management consultants, as well as scholars, researchers, and students in health informatics and public health.

This book provides a pioneering approach to modeling the human diabetic patient using a software agent. It is based on two MASc (Master of Applied Science) theses: one looking at the evolution of the patient agent in time, and another looking the interaction of the patient agent with the healthcare system. It shows that the software agent evolves in a manner analogous to the human patient and exhibits typical attributes of the illness such as reacting to food consumption, medications, and activity. This agent model can be used in a number of different ways, including as a prototype for a specific human patient with the purpose of helping to identify when that patient's condition deviates from normal variations. The software agent can also be used to study the interaction between the human patient and the health care system. This book is of interest to anyone involved in the management of diabetic patients or in societal research into the management of diabetes. The diabetic patient agent was developed using the Ackerman model for diabetes, but this model can be easily adapted for any other model subject with the necessary physiological data to support that model.

Multilevel modelling facilitates the analysis of hierarchical data where observations may be nested within higher levels of classification. In health care research, for example, a study may be undertaken to determine the variability of patient outcomes where these also vary by hospital or health care region. Inference can then be made on the efficacy of health care practices.

• Focuses on multilevel modelling for health and medical research
• Covers the majority of analytical techniques required by health care professionals
• Repeated measures, outliers, institutional performance and spatial analysis are all examined in a multilevel framework
• All the methodology is applied to data sets relating to the health of individual or populations
• Includes in-depth discussion of the software packages used in multilevel modelling

Health care professionals and public health researchers interested in the application of statistics will benefit greatly from this text. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students studying medical statistics.

This book provides a much-needed account of informal community-based approaches to working with mental distress. It starts from the premise that contemporary mainstream psychiatry and psychology struggle to capture how distress results from complex embodied arrays of social experiences that are embedded within specific historical, cultural, political and economic settings. The authors challenge mainstream understandings of mental health that position a naive public in need of mental health literacy. Instead it is clear that a considerable amount of invaluable mental distress work is undertaken in spaces in our communities that are not understood as mental health treatments. This book represents one of the first attempts to position these kinds of spaces at the center of how we understand and address problems of mental distress and suffering. The chapters draw on case studies from the UK and abroad to point toward an exciting new paradigm based on informal community and socially oriented approaches to mental health. Written in an unusually accessible and engaging style, this book will appeal to social science students, academics, practitioners and policy makers interested in community and social approaches to mental health.