- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Other sellers (Hardcover)
-
All (28) from $18.99
-
New (16) from $72.26
-
Used (12) from $18.99
More About This Textbook
Overview
The seventh edition of Introduction to Health Services builds upon its reputation as a classic book written by nationally recognized authors. This new edition addresses the increasing pressure to improve the efficiency of the nation's health care system and to provide an adequate level of health care for all Americans. The seventh edition reflects the revolutionary changes in the practice of clinical medicine, government policy, information technology, and health care cost containment. In-depth information in the areas of health care finance, health care access, managed care, and insurance and home health is also provided. Research and statistics throughout make this book the premier reference for understanding all the services that compose the health care landscape.
This book contains black-and-white illustrations.
Editorial Reviews
From The Critics
Reviewer: Steven K. Hamick, BIS, RCP, RRT, AE-C(William Beaumont Hospitals)Description: This book describes the U.S. healthcare system, including an overview of the healthcare industry, the financial and nonfinancial aspects, healthcare provider organizations and settings, and quality improvement perspectives. The previous edition was published in 2001.
Purpose: According to the authors, the objective is to explain the structure and function of the healthcare system so that all participants can better fulfill their duties within the system. Given the complexity and challenges of the U.S. healthcare system, this is a needed resource.
Audience: The audience includes "participants" of the healthcare system, which is taken to mean those employed in the system as well as those paying into and using the system. Given the easy to read format coupled with the extensive historical and up-to-date perspectives, it is clear the authors are experts in their fields.
Features: "Similar in format to its predecessors, the book is divided into five parts, each one covering one area of the healthcare system. Part one is an overview including historical evolution dating back to the mid 19th century. Part two discusses the financial aspects of healthcare from expenditures to insurance. Part three examines healthcare providers, including hospitals and health systems. Part four discusses the nonfinancial resources in healthcare, including the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare professionals. Part five focuses on assessing and regulating health services, quality and ethical concerns which segues in to the last chapter on the future of health services, which contains common sense predictions of potential changes given current pressures on the healthcare system. "
Assessment: This is an excellent description of the extremely complex U.S. healthcare system. Given the continuous financial and technological changes in healthcare, it is a valued replacement for its predecessor.
Bernard J. Turnock
This is the fourth edition of a general textbook and reference that presents and examines various aspects of health services within the U.S. health care system. Multiple authors have collaborated in putting this text together, representing public, private, and academic viewpoints. This book is designed as a basic text for students in health services and health administration, and it would be useful for many different types of health professionals. In capturing the scope of health services, as well as the trends and current issues, this text is generally successful in serving its purpose. The various authors address their specific topics clearly, with adequate attention to both what happened and why. Students are the primary audience, but as a general reference work, this book would be useful to anyone not familiar with some of the lesser known aspects of the U.S. health system. That group includes many already working in the field. The authors are excellent authorities and quite credible in their areas of expertise. Illustrations and graphics are at a minimum, making this a rather dry traditional textbook at times. The index and table of content are both informative and quite complete. References are very much up-to-date, even in some of the fastest changing components of the health service system. The general appearance inside and out is adequate though certainly not eye-catching. Even though there are several contributors to this book, this is a particularly well presented general text on health services in the U.S. today. Issues, trends, and their implications are nicely handled throughout. This book should become widely used in various health administration courses and as a generalreference on this complex subject. The current edition helps capture developments since the previous edition, but health reform activities may move even more quickly in the near future, perhaps necessi tating a sooner-than-anticipated next edition.3 Stars from Doody
Product Details
Related Subjects
Meet the Author
Stephen Williams is the series editor for our Health Services Administration list. He is also a Professor of Public Health and head of the Division of Health Services Administration in the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University in Dan Diego, California.
Dr. Paul Torrens is Professor of Health Services at the UCLA School of Public Health in Los Angeles
Table of Contents
Preface. Acknowledgments. PART ONE: Overview of the Health Services System. Chapter 1. Understanding Health Systems: The Organization of Health Care in the United States. Chapter 2. Technology in the U.S. Health Care System. Chapter 3. Population and Disease Patterns and Trends. PART TWO: Financing and Structuring Health Care. Chapter 4. Financing Health Systems. Chapter 5. Private Health Insurance and Managed Care. PART THREE: Providers of Health Services Chapter 6. Public Health: Joint Public-Private Responsibility in an Era of New Threats. Chapter 7. Ambulatory Health Care Services and Organizations. Chapter 8. Hospitals and Health Systems. Chapter 9. The Continuum of Long-Term Care. Chapter 10. Mental and Behavioral Health Services PART FOUR: Nonfinancial Resources for Health Care. Chapter 11. The Pharmaceutical Industry. Chapter 12. Health Care Professionals. PART FIVE: Assessing and Regulating Health Services. Chapter 13. Understanding Health Policy. Chapter 14. The Quality of Health Care. Chapter 15. Ethical Issues in Public Health and Health Services. Chapter 16. The Future of Health Services. Index.