by Robert M. Veatch (2008)
Robert Veatch, one of the founding fathers of contemporary bioethics, sheds light on a fundamental change sweeping through the American health care system, a change that puts the patient in charge of treatment to an unprecedented extent. The change is in how we think about medical decision-making. Whereas medicine's core idea was that medical decisions should be based on the hard facts of science--the province of the doctor--the "new medicine" contends that medical decisions impose value judgments. Since physicians are not trained to make value judgments, the pendulum has swung greatly toward the patient in making decisions about their treatment. Veatch shows how this has been true only for value-loaded interventions (abortion, euthanasia, genetics) but is coming to be true for almost every routine procedure in medicine, and uses a range of examples to argue that this change is inevitable and a positive trend for patients.--From publisher description.
J.A. Muir Gray
This book aims to help those people who have to make decisions about groups of patients and/or populations base such decisions on a careful appraisal of the best evidence available. The contents cover three main topics: (a) finding and appraising evidence; (b) developing the capacity of individuals and organisations to use evidence; and (c) implementation (getting research into practice).
Edward M. Spencer ... [et al
"This book begins by assessing the shortcomings of clinical ethics, business ethics, and professional ethics as a basis for solving problems that have emerged in health care delivery systems since the advent of managed care. Then the authors consider the meaning of the development of the HCO in our society as well as its present status. Finally, they describe the key elements for the successful implementation of a fully functioning health care organization ethics program and what it can mean to the patients and the community."--Jacket.
Charles E. Rosenberg
Historian of medicine Rosenberg presents an analysis of the current tensions in American medicine. Situating these tensions within their historical and social contexts, Rosenberg investigates the fundamental characteristics of medicine: how we think about disease, how the medical profession thinks about itself and its moral and intellectual responsibilities, and what prospective patients--all of us--expect from medicine and the medical profession. He explores the nature and definition of disease and how ideas of disease causation reflect social values and cultural negotiations. His analyses of alternative medicine and bioethics consider the historically specific ways in which we define and seek to control what is appropriately medical. At a time when clinical care and biomedical research generate as much angst as they offer cures, this volume provides valuable insight into how the practice of medicine has evolved, where it is going, and how lessons from history can improve its prognosis.--From publisher description.
Thomas S. Bodenheimer, Kevin Grumbach
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.