Health Policy Analysis

by McLaughlin, Curtis P.; McLaughlin, Craig D.

• ISBN13: 9780763744427
• ISBN10: 0763744425
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-07
• Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning

Summary

This innovative book analyzes current U.S. health policy and proposes various alternatives for developing future health policy. Unlike other texts on the subject, it does not attempt to push a single solution set. Rather, it takes the perspectives of a variety of disciplines including economics, political science, management, communications, and public health. The authors also draw on the experiences of health policies in other countries including Canada and Europe. Organized into three sections, Health Policy addresses the context of U.S. health policy, the policy analysis process, and professional response. The first section explores the current issues with the system and its history and then reviews the alternatives for future policy that have strong support. The second section identifies the issues and reviews the political processes that influence planning in various healthcare settings. It presents the accepted methods of economic and financial analysis and addresses the ethical and other value considerations that must enter into the health policy process. The final section deals with the roles, skills, and leadership that health professionals can bring to the policy making process in their local and national communities.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
The context
Where are we?	p. 23
How did we get here?	p. 59
Where do we want to go?	p. 87
What are the governmental alternatives? : many actors, many proposals	p. 103
Alternative responses and initiatives of institutions and professions	p. 143
The policy analysis process
The policy analysis process - identification and definition	p. 179
The policy analysis process - evaluation - technology assessment	p. 195
The policy analysis process - evaluation - political feasibility	p. 233
The policy analysis process - evaluation - economic viability	p. 283
The policy process - analysis of values - last but not least	p. 321
Implementation strategy and planning	p. 351
The professional as a participant
What is likely to work	p. 375
Health professional leadership	p. 389
Conclusion - all those levers and no fulcrum	p. 399
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