Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America On Sale

Title : Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America
Category: Government & Business
Brand: Barr, Donald A., M.D., Ph.D.
Item Page Download URL : Download in PDF File
Rating : 4.8
Buyer Review : 11

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This type of item delivers exceeded own anticipation, that one has developed into a wonderfull replace on me personally, The theory came safely and swiftly Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America

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.

Review :
The basics of understanding health care

In these days of intense debate over health care reform, this should be a non-fiction best-seller. Written as a textbook to inform medical students in the area of health policy, Dr. Barr integrates issues of culture, economics, and medicine in a highly readable overview of our current U.S. healthcare system. He illustrates a number of problems by contrasting the evolution of our healthcare system, and the strongly held political/cultural assumptions that underlie it, with the evolution and values underlying the Canadian system. He is realistic about the struggles of both systems. A number of U.S. practices and assumptions don't make for better medicine. This text goes a long way towards helping the reader understand the problems in ways that are necessary before tackling solutions. Dr. Barr offers several critical options (some implicit and others explicit) for improving U.S. health care.

Informative, well formatted, and thorough, but not to the point of boredom

As a college student looking to pursue a career in medicine, I picked this book up hoping to develop at least a fundamental knowledge about the field I will (hopefully) be working in. It answered just about every question I had beforehand, and it did so in a way that made it easy for someone with little prior knowledge to understand. I was also pleasantly surprised by the relatively unbiased opinions it provided in regards to healthcare, and any opinions that were listed were well supported with facts and figures. After having read this book, I can now effectively participate in (somewhat) sophisticated discussions regarding the U.S. healthcare system, how it works, and in what direction it is heading. A great read for anyone considering a career in healthcare, or someone just looking to gain a little knowledge on the subject.

Engaging, informative, well-written, and timely

I am a physician, former researcher, and public health officer. My primary work is public health practice and administration. I needed to get up-to-date on health care reform and I chose this book because of it's historical approach. I was not disappointed -- in fact, I was blown away how good it was! Dr. Barr is able to synthesize a complex topic. I especially like how he includes Canada's health care system as a comparison. This book is best for readers with a health background. I got the Kindle edition to save money, and it was fine. Tomás