"A ground breaking set of case studies about how [health care] coverage decisions are made" Robert A. Berenson M.D. Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, Washington D.C. and former Director of the Center for Health Plans and Providers of the Medicare program Developed countries are facing rapidly rising health care costs and one of the major factors driving health care cost growth is the continual development and diffusion of new, generally more expensive, health care technologies. This book contains: * A description of the institutions, procedures and criteria used by eight countries for assessing technologies for public insurance coverage * An analysis of the role of interest groups, and of the public interest, in these decision making processes * An examination of how particular technologies are treated differently by different countries, and why Based upon research from Australia, Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, the contributors argue that although each of these countries is committed to evidence-based scientific assessment of technologies, in fact adoption of technologies is significantly affected by political considerations, and in particular by the influence of interest groups. Moreover, it offers recommendations as to how technology assessment for coverage policy can be improved to serve better the public interest. Health Care Coverage Determinations is essential reading for health policy makers, managers, researchers and students with an interest in health economics, health care provision and the politics affecting health care legislation. Contributors: Liliana Bulfone, Tanisha Carino, Peter C. Coyte, Anna García-Altés, Colleen M. Flood, Stefan Greß, Felix Gurtner, Anthony Harris, Timothy Stoltzfus Jost, Eric Nauenberg, Christopher Newdick, Dea Niebuhr, Guillaume Roduit, Heinz Rothgang, Frans F.H. Rutten, Dominique Sprumont, Juergen Wasem.

"Dr. Gauld’s collection of case studies is informativeand accessible. I would recommend it as acentral text for a course in comparative healthsystems." Political Studies Review Based upon research from eight countries in the Asia-Pacific – Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan – this book analyses and compares their differing health policies. Key issues the book probes include: ·The ways that health care is financed and delivered across the region ·The historical and institutional arrangements that impact upon health policy and health care ·How the health systems differ between the countries under study ·How policymakers and service providers deal with unlimited demand and limited funding and issues such as service coverage and quality ·How pharmaceuticals and population health strategies are managed ·What the roles of the state and various other players (such as the private sector and professional associations) are in the making of health policy and delivery of health care ·The challenges that lie ahead for health care and health policy in the region Comparative Health Policy in the Asia-Pacific is key reading for students, researchers and policy makers with an interest in health policy. It is relevant to those studying medicine and health studies, anthropology, history, sociology, public policy, politics and Asian studies.

"This is an excellent and accessible introduction to key current debates in health policy. It is enriched by deft comparative analysis and by the way Dr Gauld locates the study in the context of current ideological debates. Students will learn a lot from wrestling with the questions posed at the end of each chapter – and so will their teachers!" Paul Wilding, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, University of Manchester, UK This book analyzes the issues that form the nucleus of the emerging ‘new health policy’ agenda. Robin Gauld brings together in one volume a comprehensive picture of the health policy challenges facing contemporary developed world health systems, as well as the strategies for tackling these. Individual chapters, respectively, analyze: Challenges in health care funding and organization Quality and patient safety The application of information technology Clinical governance The changing nature of professionalism and public involvement in health care planning Public health The role of the private sector The book highlights the importance to policy makers of each subject, overviews research into it, and discusses policy responses in Britain, New Zealand and the United States. The New Health Policy is essential reading for all students of health policy and health care, along with policy makers and health care professionals.

"Reasonable Rationing is must reading for those interested in how to connect theory about fair rationing processes to country-level practices. The five case studies reveal a deep tension between political pressures to accomodate interest group demands and ethically motivated efforts to improve both information and institutional procedures for setting fair limits to care. The authors frame the issues insightfully." - Professor Norman Daniels, Harvard School of Public Health . How are different countries setting priorities for health care? . What role does information and evidence on cost and effectiveness play? . How are institutions contributing to priority setting? . What are the lessons for policy makers? Priority setting in health care is an issue of increasing importance. Choices about the use of health care budgets are inescapable and difficult. A number of countries have sought to strengthen their approach to priority setting by drawing on research-based evidence on the cost and effectiveness of different treatments. This book brings together leading experts in the field to summarize and analyse the experience of priority setting in five countries: Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. Drawing on literature from a range of disciplines, it makes a significant contribution to the debate on the role of information and institutions in priority setting. Reasonable Rationing has been written with a broad readership in mind. It will be of interest to policy makers, health care professionals and health service managers, as well as students of health and social policy at advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

How can we improve health, wealth and societal well-being by investing in health systems? How can we ensure that health systems are sustained in the future? How can we monitor, manage and improve performance so that health systems are as effective and efficient as possible? This book looks at health systems from a new perspective. By reviewing the complex relationship between health systems, health and wealth, it argues that health systems need not be, as is often believed, simply a drag on resources but rather can be part and parcel of improving health and achieving better economic growth. Aiming to assist policy-makers as they assess the case for investing in health systems, Health Systems,Health, Wealth and Societal Well-being reviews the evidence on: The contribution of health systems to better health and to economic growth The ways that investment in better health can save future health costs as well as boosting economic growth How we can create equitable, sustainable health systems fit for the 21st century

This bestselling book provides an accessible introduction to the concepts and practicalities of research methods in health and health services. This new edition has been extensively re-worked and expanded and now includes expanded coverage of: Qualitative methods Social research Evaluation methodology Mixed methods Secondary data analysis Literature reviewing and critical appraisal Evidence based practice Covering all core methodologies in detail the book looks at the following kinds of health research: health needs morbidity and mortality trends and rates costing health services sampling for survey research cross-sectional and longitudinal survey design experimental methods and techniques of group assignment questionnaire design interviewing techniques coding and analysis of quantitative data methods and analysis of qualitative observational studies unstructured interviewing The book is grounded in the author's career as a researcher on health and health service issues, and the valuable experience this has provided in meeting the challenges of research on people and organisations in real life settings. Research Methods in Health, Fourth Edition is an essential companion for students and researchers of health and health services, health clinicians and policy-makers with responsibility for applying research findings and judging the soundness of research. "Health service researchers - new and old - will be delighted by this new edition of a popular and useful text. There is new content but also updated material making this practically useful as a resource at any stage of the research trajectory. While health is the focus the book is hugely valuable to researchers in cognate areas. such as social care, education and housing. The book meets its own high standards in being easy to follow, well indexed and containing interesting examples of approaches. The limitations of different methods are also honestly reported. A 'must have' for the book shelf." Jill Manthorpe, Professor of Social Work, King's College London, UK "When first published in 1997, this volume was the first systematic overview of research methods used in the health field. In its updated 4th Edition it remains vital and, if anything, more important given the growing number of researchers and students investigating health issues and health services. It provides an impressively comprehensive overview of health research methods in which the wealth and variety of experience of the author shines through at every point. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods are appraised and explained with unpartisan authority and rigour, and the volume covers everything from multidisciplinary collaboration in health service evaluation through the Delphi technique of consensus development to the health economics needed to evaluate costing." Paul Stenner, Professor of Social Psychology, The Open University, UK "This excellent text really is a must for anyone involved in health research. It is truly multidisciplinary in its scope, drawing on a breadth of relevant research from health economics, to epidemiology to psychology which is beyond the scope of most books on research methods. Yet in spite of the wealth of material included it is written and presented in an accessible way so that it will be an invaluable source for those with a background in either qualitative or quantitative research and from students to experienced researchers." Robert J. Edelmann, Professor of Forensic and Clinical psychology, Roehampton University, UK Reviews of previous editions: "Provides an excellent broad based introduction to the subject. The content is clearly presented and at a suitable level for health professionals and postgraduate students in health and health-related social sciences." Virginia Berridge, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK "A valuable source book for health services researchers, health care providers, and others interested in quantifying quality of life for clinical or research purposes." The International Journal for Quality in Health Care "Includes accounts of a number of recently developed scales, while retaining the breadth, concision and clarity that marked the first edition." Medicine, Healthcare and Philosophy

International and Comparative Human Resource Management offers students a clear and contemporary introduction to issues in managing the human aspects of international organisations. International Human Resource Management (IHRM) has grown in significance as a field of study over the past decade, due to the internationalisation of business, freedom of movement of labour and capital, and international regulation of employment matters. This new book takes a fresh and distinctive approach, combining analysis of international HR policy and practice with detailed exposition of contexts and systems of HR in a selection of developed and developing countries.

What is the best way to structure primary care services? How can coordination between primary care and other parts of health care systems be improved? How should new technologies be integrated into primary care? There is considerable agreement among national policy makers across Europe that, in principle, primary care should be the linchpin of a well-designed health care system. This agreement, however, does not carry over into the organizational mechanisms best suited to pursuing or achieving this common objective. Across western, central and eastern Europe, primary care is delivered through a wide range of institutional, financial, professional and clinical configurations. This book is a study of the reforms of primary care in Europe as well as their impacts on the broader co-ordination mechanisms within European health care systems. It also provides suggestions for effective strategies for future improvement in health care system reform. Primary Care in the Driver’s Seat is key reading for students studying health policy, health economics, public policy and management, as well as health managers and policy makers. Contributors: Richard Baker, University of Leicester; Sven-Eric Bergman, Bergman and Dahlbäck AB, Stockholm, Sweden; Wienke Boerma, Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research (NIVEL) in Utrecht, Netherlands; Mats Brommels, University of Helsinki and Karolinska Institute in Stockholm; Sweden; Michael Calnan, University of Bristol; Diana Delnoij, Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research (NIVEL) in Utrecht, Netherlands; Anna Dixon, London School of Economics and Political Science; Carl-Ardy Dubois, University of Montreal, Canada; Joan Gené Badia, Catalan Institute of Health in Barcelona, Spain; Bernhard Gibis, National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Berlin, Germany; Stefan Greß, Institute of Health Care Management of the University of Duisburg-Essen in Essen, Germany; Peter Groenewegen, Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research (NIVEL) and Utrecht University in Utrecht, Netherlands; Jan Heyrman, Catholic University Leuven (KULeuven) in Leuven, Belgium; Jack Hutten, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, The Hague, Netherlands; Michael Kidd, University of Sydney; Australia; Mårten Kvist, Laitila-Pyhäranta Health Centre in Laitila, Finland; Miranda Laurant, Centre for Quality of Care Research of the Universities of Nijmegen and Maastricht in Nijmegen, Netherlands; Margus Lember, University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia; Martin Marshall, University of Manchester; Alison McCallum, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES) in Helsinki, Finland and Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden; Toomas Palu, Europe and Central Asia Development Department of the World Bank in Washington DC, USA; Ana Rico, University of Oslo, Norway; Ray Robinson, London School of Economics and Political Science; Valentin Rusovich, Department of General Practice of the Belarussian Medical Academy for Continuous Medical Education (BelMAPO), Department of General Practice in Minsk, Belarus; Richard B. Saltman, Emory University, Atlanta, USA; Anthony Scott, University of Aberdeen; Rod Sheaff, Manchester University; Igor Svab, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Bonnie Sibbald, University of Manchester; Hrvoje Tiljak, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia; Michel Wensing, Centre for Quality of Care Research of the Universities of Nijmegen and Maastricht in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Health services globally are changing, strategically, structurally and clinically. Research and Development (R&D) plays a key role, because only good research can elucidate and challenge the status quo or future possibilities for effective health care. Researchers and managers have a duty to collaborate with clinicians, to understand and make the most of each others' skills. This necessitates a new paradigm of health service research which is part of a change management culture and change promotion. A clear philosophical and practical distinction is required between R&D and fundamental biomedical science. This book has been written for people who make decisions and bring about change, at all sorts of levels, and in a wide range of disciplines. They include clinicians in many specialities, as well as administrative staff, and general managers of healthcare organizations. It is also for people doing, or wanting to do, research and development in this fascinating area.

Understand how the healthcare system works – and how you can succeed in it Covers the 2010 Affordable Care Act A Doody's Core Title for 2015! The most trusted and comprehensive guide to healthcare available, Understanding Health Policy provides everything students and professionals need to build a solid foundation on the field’s most critical issues. Expert practitioners in both the public and private healthcare sectors, the authors cover the entire scope of our healthcare system—from the concepts behind policy decisions to concrete examples of how they affect patients and professionals alike. Understanding Health Policy, 6e makes otherwise difficult concepts easy to understand—so you can make better decisions, improve outcomes, and enact positive change on a daily basis. Features: Coverage of structure, organization, and financing of the health care system Key principles, descriptions, and concrete examples are skillfully interwoven in each chapter to make important issues interesting and understandable Clinical vignettes clarify difficult concepts and demonstrate how they apply to real-world situations Comprehensive list of review questions reinforce what you have learned Understanding Health Policy, 6e will help you develop a clearer, more systematic way of thinking about health care in the United States, its problems, and the alternatives for managing and solving these problems.