Book Description

The untold crisis in American medicine, with side effects that may be hazardous to your health.

We all know that health care and prescription drug costs are skyrocketing, but few doubt the excellence of American medicine. John Abramson, M.D., an award-winning family doctor on the clinical faculty at Harvard Medical School, reveals, in the same clear language that he used with his patients, how the corporate takeover of clinical research and medical practice is compromising Americans' health. You -- and your doctor -- will be stunned by his findings.

For twenty years, Dr. Abramson cared for patients of all ages in a small town north of Boston. But increasingly his role as family doctor was undermined as pressure mounted to use the latest drugs and high-tech solutions for nearly every problem. Drawing on his background in statistics and health policy research, he began to investigate the radical changes that were quietly taking place in American medicine.

At the heart of the crisis, he found, lies the changed purpose of medical knowledge -- from seeking to optimize health to searching for the greatest profits. The lack of transparency that has become normal in commercially sponsored medical research now taints the scientific evidence published in even our most prestigious medical journals. And unlike the recent scandals in other industries that robbed Americans of money and jobs, this one is undermining our health.

The hormone replacement debacle, it turns out, is not an isolated case. The same kind of commercial distortion now pervades the information that doctors rely upon to guide the prevention and treatment of common health problems, from heart disease to stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.

The good news, as Dr. Abramson explains, is that the real scientific evidence shows that many of the things that you can do to protect and preserve your own health are far more effective than what the drug companies' top-selling products can do for you -- which is why the drug companies work so hard to keep this information under wraps.

In what is sure to be one of the most important and eye-opening books you or your doctor will ever read, John Abramson offers conclusive evidence that American medicine has broken its promise to best improve our health and is squandering more than $500 billion each year in the process.

Isn't it time to learn the facts, discuss these issues with your doctor, and reclaim the good health and medical care that all Americans deserve?

Book Description

Overcoming suspicion, ridicule, and outright opposition from the American Medical Association, the osteopathic medical profession today serves the health needs of more than thirty million Americans. The DOs chronicles the development of this controversial medical movement from the nineteenth century to the present. Historian Norman Gevitz describes the philosophy and practice of osteopathy, as well as its impact on medical care. From the theories underlying the use of spinal manipulation developed by osteopathy's founder, Andrew Taylor Still, Gevitz traces the movement's early success, despite attacks from the orthodox medical community, and details the internal struggles to broaden osteopathy's scope to include the full range of pharmaceuticals and surgery. He also recounts the efforts of osteopathic colleges to achieve parity with institutions granting M.D. degrees and looks at the continuing effort by osteopathic physicians and surgeons to achieve greater recognition and visibility.

In print continuously since 1982, The DOs has now been thoroughly updated and expanded to include two new chapters addressing recent and current challenges and to bring the history of the profession up to the beginning of the new millennium. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Reading: Broad or narrow?
This book assumes that the reading of medical texts is not just something that is self-evident, but something that can be learned by reading the book. "The traditional course in reading the medical literature consists of "Here's the New England Journal of Medicine. Read it!". Unlike this "sink or swim" method, this book provides a step-by step, active-participation approach to a clinical review of the medical literature.

In a way, this book is a traditional book on research methods turned upside down. Instead of telling the researcher how to do and report a study, this book tells the reader how to apply such knowledge in determining the quality of a medical paper. As such it is well written, clear and relevant.

I would like to suggest, however, that research methods are always depending on a views in the philosophy of science. (Courses in the Philosophy of Medicine are becoming more and more important in the education of Doctors). As an example of a well received book I can mention "Philosophy of Medicine. An Introduction" by Henrik R. Wulff, Stig Andur Pedersen & Raben Rosenberg (Oxford, UK: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1986). Knowledge of this kind should enable the reader to read and interpret the medical literature at a still higher level. (It is of course more difficult to write easy "how to read books" based on such a more theoretical and philosophical level compared to the more statistical and methodical level).

There exists a broader literature on "Clinical reasoning in the health Professions" (Higgs et al), "Medical semiotics" (Baer et al.), diverse philosophical studies of medicine, "Quality in science" and much more. It would be interesting if anyone would try to expose how such knowledge could be turned upside down as guide on how to read the medical literature on a still deeper level.

It is my claim that a general background in philosophy and science studies should provide readers with even better qualifications to read the scientific literature. This is not an extraordinary position. In Denmark courses in the philosophy of science are very popular, and just now are we discussing to make such courses compulsory in all university studies. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A focused book on public health management and practices
This recent contribution to public health literature focuses on management and administrative strategies for entire communities rather than specific programs or organizations. The 800-page text is divided into four Parts dealing with conceptual and structural elements; operational issues; administrative processes and strategies, and applications of these to public health administration. There are thirty chapters contributed by fifty-four public health experts from local and state agencies, medical, public health and nursing schools, universities, non-government organizations, laboratories, and five chapters written by CDC-based professionals. Each Part has an introduction by the editors, followed by a series of chapters, with individual pr¨¦cis of the chapter¡¯s focus, along with telegraph-style, boxed-chapter reviews, and a complete set of historical and contemporary references. The chapters are enriched by carefully chosen figures, tables and ¡°exhibits¡±, which are crisp, attractive, and interesting to view. The figures, tables and exhibits have been carefully chosen by the authors, culled from selected articles and books; others have been created by the editors to support the written text. They leaven the written narratives, and provide a further continuity to the logical flow in chapter chronology. A brief Epilogue, rationalizing population management, is followed by a fifteen page glossary with over 250 public health definitions, terms, abbreviations, neologisms, and Americanisms, provides the reader with a Rosetta stone summary of both old, established expressions, as well as newer public health terminology. Public Health Administration is freed from constraints of previous textbooks on preventive medicine and public healthþuwhich were required to discuss topics like nutrition, biostatistics, epidemiology and communicable diseases. These efforts often drove the textbook, resulting in all too brief summaries of these subjects, while providing a cramped backseat to what otherwise would have been devoted to a full discussion of public health management. Despite the fact that the fifty-odd contributors come from a spectrum of public health disciplines and locations (over twenty different states and Canada), the editors have worked hard to produce a single narrative voice, and have eliminated redundancies and conflicts between various authors. Individual chapters include standard analyses of core U.S. public health practices, the editors have generic issues (e.g. Leadership) applicable to any country¡¯s structured health system, and have the largest chapter in the book (62 pages) devoted to Disaster Preparedness and Response, which includes ten pages (with many 2000 references) devoted to bioterrorism. The text would be an excellent resource for academics involved with teaching, as well as their students. Local, regional and federal public health practitioners would also benefit from a one-stop shopping for information on public health, as would the newly arrived post-graduate student, about to embark on a career in public health. For the historically-minded, the 1993 expanded edition of George Rosen¡¯s classic A History of Public Health (published in 1958), syncs quite nicely with present day and future challenges presented in Public Health Administration. This textbook should find its place on a shelf, along with other focused classics like the newest editions of the CDC¡¯s Control of Communicable Disease Manual, (CCDM), and Donald Hunter¡¯s The Diseases of Occupations. Public Health Administration Principles for Population-Based Management compares favorably with the most recent edition of Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health and Preventive Medicine. But at nearly half the price, and not encumbered with obligatory discussions of preventive medicine disciplines, this new textbook should stand the test of time. John S. Marr, MD, MPH Senior Lecturer, Department of International Medicine New York Medical College Graduate School of Health Sciences Valhalla, NY January 15, 2001 ... Read more

Book Description

This new edition of a best-seller, The Effective Health Care Supervisor, Fifth Edition,continues to provide students and professionals with proven, hands-on, practical applications of both classic and current management principles in the health care setting.The fifth edition is packed with strategies, techniques, and tools to build or reinforce your management skills and meet the never-ending challenges that you face daily as a health care supervisor.Students and professionals alike will benefit from the new "Situation" activity presented at each chapter's opening.Each activity poses questions throughout, enabling the reader to gather appropriate information as the chapter progresses and easily learn from and identify with the final resolution presentation. ... Read more

Book Description

This compendium of articles provides a clear view of the factors affecting the health of Americans and the role of public health, medical care, and the community in ensuring the nation's health. The Seventh Edition continues the emphasis of earlier editions on the health of the population, the determinants of health, women's health, long term care, and the precarious set of circumstances faced by the nation's public health and health care systems as we begin the 21st century.

New issues, particularly related to bioterrorism and community health are addressed in this edition. This volume also includes coverage of tobacco, immunizations, HIV/AIDS, environmental health, dietary guidelines, physical activity, and food safety. In addition, a major new feature is an article on community problem solving, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to collaborative practice and research to improve community health. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A comprehensive view of health policy development
This book provided my students with a clear view of the development of Health Policy in the United States. The articles in this text provided a clear explanation of what the definition of health is, how health policy has developed, comparisons to other industrialized countries, and where health policy reform has failed. This is an excellent text for undergraduate health policy students. It also provides a great deal of insight into the making of policy decisions in the United States ... Read more

Book Description

This is the first textbook to present informatics principles and examples of practice in a public health context. It clarifies the ways in which new information technologies will support and improve the status of individual and community health.It provides an essential tool for public health officials, healthcare professionals, and public health students who need to understandbasic principles of information and technology management in order to promote a strategic approach to information systems development in public health.

More than 50 recognized experts from public health organizations and leading public health schools provide a comprehensive review of this emerging discipline, including both principles and applications.The 34 chapters are presented in five sections:

* "The Context for Public Health Informatics," including the principles, history, effects, and the governmental and legislative context of public health informatics

* "The Science of Public Health Informatics," focusing on basics such as information architecture, core competencies, information systems value assessment, IT personnel and project management, and other fundamentals

* "Key Public Health Information Systems," including chapters focusing on the nature and uses of resources such as the National Vital Statistics System

* "New Challenges, Emerging Systems," including discussions covering recent developments such as GIS systems as well as new means of data collection and data access in public health

* "Case Studies: Applications of Information Systems Development," illustrating public health informatics in action in a wide range of areas ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent introduction and review
The publication of this book has been highly anticipated by many in the emerging field of public health informatics and it does not disappoint. Although seemingly targeted at those new or recently introduced to the discipline, or those "crossing over" from other areas within the broader informatics arena, content is very well-suited for all comers, with sufficient detail to satisfy even those familiar with the many issues detailed in the richly detailed case example chapters.

The breadth of material covered is excellent, making it especially appropriate as an introductory or intermediate text. Of particular interest will be the section of the book on "The Science of Public Health Informatics" which includes particularly fine chapters on information architecture, value assessment, management of personnel and projects, and organizational change. Bill Yasnoff does a particularly good job adding clarity to a muddled domain in a chapter on privacy, confidentiality, and security of Public Health Information. Those readers generally interested in PHI education, or with specific interest in developing training programs for PHI programs or for public health agency personnel would find great value in Janise Richard's chapter on core competencies.

The writing style is generally clear and illustrative, albeit not terribly concise. We have adopted this book as the core text for our graduate-level introductory course in PHI. ... Read more

Book Description

This innovative, full color text offers a unique perspective in nursing leadership and management concepts. Nursing Leadership & Management brings a quality management perspective to a solid, comprehensive coverage of traditional nursing leadership and management concepts. ... Read more

Book Description

Our best-selling compact, color-coded, thumb-indexed Coder’s Choice® version of ICD-9-CM is loaded with great features to help you code faster and easier! At a convenient 6" x 9" and weighing a little over two pounds, this book is a real desk space and arm saver. Includes all official ICD-9-CM Volume 1 & 2 diagnosis codes in a single, lightweight, compact book.

--Improve your diagnosis code accuracy with our color coding and symbol notation system
--Locate ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes faster with thumb indexing
--Book lays flat on your desk and stays open during use
--Anatomical illustrations help relate diagnosis codes to organ system
--Includes a comprehensive diagnosis coding tutorial ... Read more

Book Description

Step-by-Step Medical Coding takes a practical approach to training students for a career in medical coding. It begins with an introduction to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), followed by in-depth explanations of the sections found in the CPT manual. Several chapters, organized to follow the CPT codes by body system, introduce various procedures and demonstrate how to code each one. Practice exercises following each step of information and at the end of each unit reinforce important concepts and allow users to check their comprehension. Unit 2 covers the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD 9-CM), and Unit 3 offers information about third party reimbursement. Appendices provide the official ICD-9-CM guidelines for coding and reporting, answers to the in-text exercises, and the documentation guidelines for E/M services. * Repetition of skills in each chapter reinforces material, and creates a logical progression to for easy learning, as well as illustrating skill integration * In-text exercises throughout each chapter immediately reinforce the coding rules and concepts, emphasizing the step-by-step organization of the book * Medical procedures or conditions are illustrated and discussed in the text help readers understand the services being coded. * Format for answers includes four response variations: one answer blank for coding questions that require a one-code answer; multiple answer blanks for coding questions that require a multiple-code answer; identifiers next to the blank(s) guide readers through the most difficult coding scenarios; and answer blanks with a preceding symbol prompt the reader to decide the number of codes necessary to correctly answer the question. * Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting boxes in the chapter on Using the ICD-9-CM ... Read more

Book Description

"Having so many theories put together thoughtfully, proximally, in a single book will help the field come to grips with what the role is of theories as we go forward and address the individual actions, and societal and community influencers of individual action, that promote healthy behaviors."
--Jim Marks, director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

New and longstanding threats to public health, such as violence, drug misuse, HIV/AIDS, and homelessness are creating an ever greater demand for innovative theories that are responsive to the changes in the larger social environment. This important work is designed to fill the demand by assembling a careful selection of new and emerging health promotion theories into a single volume, written with an emphasis on practical application of theory to health promotion and health education programs. ... Read more

Book Description

A monumental compendium on one of the most crucial topics confronting those in public health and health policy, Race, Ethnicity, and Health brings together the best peer reviewed research literature from the leading scholars and faculty in this growing field. This original and much-needed resource will be invaluable to graduate students and researchers alike. The book provides a historical and political context for the study of health, race, and ethnicity, with key findings on disparities in access, use, and quality. This volume also examines the role of health care providers in health disparities and discusses the issue of matching patients and doctors by race. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Much Needed Corrective to the Turnock position
There are many public health "experts," most notably Barney Turnock of UIC, who spend entire careers re-writing the same vapid books about public health. These authors have a tendency to blithely summarize highly abstract and idealized models of how public health systems should work, rather than analyzing and questioning the ways in which public health systems DO work. And it goes without saying that people like Turnock never examine the ways in which race and economic class determine the availability and quality of health care available - they prefer to believe that these issues have nothing to do with the American health care system.

This book is valuable precisely because its author is someone who actually opens his eyes to the world around him and captures the complexities of what he sees. While authors like Turnock help perpetuate health care systems that lead directly to the death and illness of anyone below the poverty line, real experts like LaVeist are tackling the kind of questions we need to answer in order to create a more just and equitable system. This book is a godsend for anyone who actually wants to learn about public health in the real world - not just the fantasy world of lazy, overprivileged blinkered stooges like Turnock and his brainless Ogden Avenue minions. Here we see real discussions of the relationship between race and various health outcomes, with a keen eye toward the social heirarchies causing these trends and a vision for a better future. Please buy this book, and stay away from the intellectual bubble gum peddled by dishonest public health professors like Turnock.

Used it in class
We used this book in my class at this past semester. It was a good overview of the key studies in health disparities. I learned alot about health disparities. Overall I found this book to be a good resource for my class.

Comprehensive
A very comprehensive overview of the issues around minority health in the United States. Does not deal with international issues, but the topic of race, ethnitity and health in the US is big enough. You are interested in learning about the topic, this is a very good place to start. You will be depressed after reading some of this. The studies described in the book are convincing and you can't help but conclude that we have a serious problem with regard to minority health.

For everyone interested in health care
This readable compendium of stellar research is important reading for anyone involved in or interested in health care today. It is also an escellent compilation of well-designed studies that challenge status quo thinking; it would be an excellent text for a research methodology course. This Public Health reader is also appropiratie for individual readings as well as a text for courses in nursing, medicine, public health, social policy, and health care administration.

The readings are compelling, disturbing, and encouraging. The book does a good job of addressing historical and political factors, presenting startling health disparity data, documenting differential health care experiences, demonstrating health care provider biases in perceptions of patients and subsequent treatment, and outlining related research challenges.

The book leaves the reader wtih a fresh understanding of national health disparies, the issues our nation faces in achieving better health for all, and the need for proactrve policies, procedures, and research that can close the gap between majority and minority health and health care, ... Read more

Book Description

Meredith Minkler and Nina Wallerstein have brought together, in one important volume, a stellar panel of contributors who offer a comprehensive resource on the theory and application of community based participatory research. Community Based Participatory Research for Health contains information on a wide variety of topics including planning and conducting research, working with communities, promoting social change, and core research methods. The book also contains a helpful appendix of tools, guides, checklists, sample protocols, and much more.

... Read more

Book Description

Computers in the Medical Office prepares students training to be medical office assistants to perform administrative functions using MediSoft for Windows Advanced patient accounting software.Students learn how to input patient information, schedule appointments, handle billing, produce lists and reports, and process insurance claims on forms and electronically. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Learning Medical Billing
This book is ... very good for new medical billers. It is thorough and very good. Only drawback is the disk in the back needs certain Medisoft software to make it work. It is misleading to have the disk and not be able to use it unless you have the software .... Otherwise if you just want to read through it or take classes you will spend lots of time in the computer lab to get the disk to work. The book is very good and very thorough so I gave it 4 stars.

Definitely a "must" for beginning medical billers
I am currently using this book in my medical billing course and I was amazed at how thorough the book was and how easy it is to apply your knowledge when doing the exercises in the book. The only drawback was that the student data disk at the back of the book will not work unless you have a working copy of the Medisoft program installed on your computer. The book was well written and in logical order of how one would go about filing a medical claim. ... Read more

Book Description

While mapped data provide a common ground for discussions between the public, the media, regulatory agencies, and public health researchers, the analysis of spatially referenced data has experienced a phenomenal growth over the last two decades, thanks in part to the development of geographical information systems (GISs). This is the first thorough overview to integrate spatial statistics with data management and the display capabilities of GIS. It describes methods for assessing the likelihood of observed patterns and quantifying the link between exposures and outcomes in spatially correlated data.
This introductory text is designed to serve as both an introduction for the novice and a reference for practitioners in the field
Requires only minimal background in public health and only some knowledge of statistics through multiple regression
Touches upon some advanced topics, such as random effects, hierarchical models and spatial point processes, but does not require prior exposure
Includes lavish use of figures/illustrations throughout the volume as well as analyses of several data sets (in the form of "data breaks")
Exercises based on data analyses reinforce concepts ... Read more

Book Description

Students and consumers alike will be interested in this unique perspective on the U.S. health care system.It offers not only an historical perspective detailing the origins of our health care system, but also discusses the forces that changed and shaped our system into what it is today.Underlying the comprehensive information on health care costs, finance, access, delivery and reform, is the ethical question of whether health care is a right or a privilege.You'll find real-world stories of health care organizations that must deal with delivery and financing of services, as well as references to web sites for further information. Key features: *Provides both an historical and current perspective on the U.S. health care system *Includes stories of real organizations dealing with delivery and financing of health care *Discusses ethical implications of health care delivery *Includes updated information on health care reform and information technology *Text organized into three primary sections of health care system origins, influences and changes(health care, health system, financial, health care organization) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book!
I especially liked the book's history of the development of medicine and the origination of our health care system in the US. ... Read more