Book Description

There is emerging research that demonstrates the effect of one’s spiritual beliefs on general health and well-being. More and more information points to the necessity of doing a religious/spiritual profile on a patient—in addition to a physical and lifestyle assessment—in order to provide the optimum plan for health and healing. This book explains the whys, hows, whens, and whats of addressing these spiritual issues in a practical and concise format.

This book is intended as a guide for practicing physicians, medical students, and residents to help identify and address the spiritual needs of patients. Those who will benefit most will be physicians who wish to know how to integrate spirituality into clinical practice in an effective and sensitive manner. Other professionals, such as nurses and chaplains, may use this book as they interact with doctors, other health professionals, and hospital administrators.

It outlines clearly the following points:

Why address spirituality into patient care?

How does a physician identify and address spiritual needs?

When does one take a spiritual history during the course of medical evaluation? When does a physician provide spiritual support or address spiritual needs?

What is the impact that physician involvement in this area can have on the patient’s ability to cope with illness, on the doctor-patient relationship, patient compliance, and on the course of medical illness and response to treatment?

Are there ethical boundaries that should not be crossed?

Are there times when spiritual beliefs can actually interfere with medical care, leading to health problems, or worsen disease outcomes? ... Read more

Book Description

Physical Examination and Health Assessment provides all the information necessary to conduct a holistic health assessment across the life span. The physical examination unit is organized by body system, pedagogically and clinically the most logical and efficient way to learn and perform health assessment. Each chapter has five major sections: (1) Structure and Function (A&P); (2) Subjective Data (history); (3) Objective Data (skills, expected findings, and common variations for healthy people and selected abnormal findings); (4) Abnormal Findings (illustrations of related disorders and conditions in atlas format); and (5) Application and Documentation (sample charting, clinical case studies, nursing diagnoses, and critical thinking questions tied to the Saunders video series). ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Simple down to earth
Compared to Bates' book I find this one more easier to read and understand. Has more pictures and more guidance what to look for at half price. Bates' may have similar information but this book better itemize it. book has more pages but pages are less dense.every chapter starts with short anatomy and than examination, what to ask and why and what to examine, Normal range of findings and abnormal findings. Bates' has also abnormal findings slightly less examples but for normal findings it does not say what is normal or what should be normal. anyway I liked both of them but I would get this book first.

Physical Examination and Health Assessment
For anyone who needs to understand how to perform a physical examination and a health assessment on a client this is the book for you!!!! The text is well written, easy to understand and helpful in allowing you, the student to become efficient in P.E. ... chech this text out!!!!! MB

Outstanding resource for Advance Practice Nurses
This is the best Physical Assessment book since Bates. I would recommend this book to all Nurse Practitioners. It is definitely an asset, and a wonderful source of current information. It also suggests implications for the culturally diversed patient.

An excellent nursing text that will enhance my career needs!
I am a registered nurse with an Associates Degree in Nursing. I am currently enrolled at Governors State University with the goal of obtaining a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. I am presently taking a course in Health Assessment and the required textbook is Mosby's 2nd edition of Health and Physical Assessment. Within two weeks of the beginning of the course; a classmate and I decided the text was not thorough enough for our present level as nursing students with several years of nursing experience. We felt we needed a textbook which would enable us to enhance the skills we already possess and delve into the rationale for the procedures we have never had the opportunity to perform; but expect to in our future careers as Nurse Practicioners. Therefore we went to Rush University Bookstore today and were amazed at the variety of texts on this subject. We chose Physical Examination and Health Assessment by Carolyn Jarvis because of the marvelous text layout which seemed to have been prepared especially for nurses in our situation. Each chapter not only discusses the topic, but it explains the rationales of each assessment and expounds upon each subject and fully explains how to assess each system in depth. As an African American woman I can truly appreciate the time and effort that was taken to provide accurate, extensive information on the assessment of hair, skin, and nails of non-white patients. The transcultural highlights are excellent. The information reguarding the assessment of tatoos is also an excellent addition to current nursing textbooks because of its prevalence in our society. The section in each chapter on abnormal findings provides nursing students with a wonderful outlet to improve critical thinking skills. The need for the normal finding explanations cannot be overstated due to the focus of preventive nursing in this age. The illustrations in the text leave no doubt as to the appearance of certain primary lesions that have not been visualized in the clinical setting. The extent of information on labs performed in the nutritional assessment leave no stone unturned in evaluation of this critical area. The area on assessment of the head and neck provides a wealth of information on the complete assessment of the underlying structures through palpation of the overlying skin surfaces. I also admire the explanations included on the proper usage of the otoscope, opthalmoscope and tuning fork. The added Laboratory Manual and Pocket Companion are invaluable resources. I truly enjoyed learning about the author in the synopsis in the Pocket Companion. Her experience in a variety of areas were an added incentive for my purchase. Every area of the textbook was thoroughly used for providing invaluable information. Even the front inside cover gives commonly used translations from English to Spanish for patients nurses can no longer afford to ignore in any setting. The back inside cover acknowledges the importance of universal precautions in our current society. My classmate and I were very impressed also with the area on vital signs which expounded on the multiple reasons for inaccurate and erroneous blood pressure readings. How often have these problems affected the recorded vital signs? I could continue, but suffice it to say that this textbook will have a special place in my heart as well as on my desk for the remainder of my career. I sincerely thank the author, her contributors, and the publisher for such an innovative and pertinent text that will survive into the next millenium. BRAVO! ... Read more

Book Description

More than 60% of Americans with medical insurance are enrolled in HMO's, but few are happy about it. Procedures are denied, doctors are rushed, patients are frustrated--it seems as if everyone has an HMO nightmare story to tell. Now two accomplished doctors, including the author of the New York Times bestseller The Arthritis Cure, offer readers an invaluable guide to understanding, dealing with, and getting the most out of their physicians and HMO's.

Setting forth a series of survival strategies for readers of any age, Drs. Feinberg and Theodosakis focus on the vital doctor-patient relationship, and on the importance of prevention. They show readers how to form an alliance with their physicians in order to obtain the care they need, as well as how to undertake prevention programs. Best of all, they offer readers advice on how to achieve better service from their HMO than they ever thought possible, including tips on how to:
o Turn a 10-minute office visit into a learning tool
o Avoid miles of red tape
o Research your own medical condition
o Quickly turn an administrator's "no" into a "yes"
o Get the tests you need, not just the ones they think you need
o Predict your own future health care needs

Managed care is here to stay. But with the right combination of self-reliance, knowledge, and healthy living, good care is possible. For anyone worried about what their HMO will do to them, here's the perfect guide to finding out what managed care can do for you. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

HMO's
My 85-year-old mother recently fell and severely fractured her hip. Unfortunately, she belongs to a Medicare HMO based in Southern California. Because of the nature of her fracture, she required pinning of her femur, a more extensive procedure than the usual treatment for hip fractures. The HMO which was contractually responsible for her care denied payment to the Skilled Nursisng Facility after l8 days, in spite of written reports from her physical therapists and her doctor detailing the remarkable progress she was making. Thanks to this book, we were able to appeal the HMO's denial, which was immediately again denied by the HMO. The appeal then went on to HCFA for review and the denial was reversed. This has saved my mom thousands of dollars. It should be required reading for anyone involved with HMO's!

Required reading for people with health insurance
As a physician who has dealt with many HMOs, I believe this will become the premier guide for people to get the best care out of whatever system they're using. It is about time someone put all of the secrets and resources in one place. Medicine has changed significantly in the last few years - right under the noses of most patients and doctors. It's caused frustration as quality care has diminished. This book will help you get back in charge. I think it should be given out by insurance plans as a guide to how patients should use the system. Congrats to the authors!

Care Package for Patients
Read this before you go to the doctor! It explains how to work with your doctors, rather than against them, to get the care you need. It points out why the red tape exists, why the doctors are bound by it, and how the two of you can get around it. This book should be issued to every patient. It will benefit doctors and patients alike.

A Must Read!
Don't Let Your HMO Kill You is an invaluable resource which every family should have. It empowers the consumer to take charge of their and their family's health care. Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg bring both insight and useful advice to help the patient make the most of managed care. From better organizing your doctor's visit to learning how to successfully appeal a denial from your HMO, there is something for everyone in this powerful book.

Help with the HMO maze
This book is full of great advice for all of us who have been frustrated by dealing with an HMO. It lays out the reasons why managed care has problems, and then explains in plain language how to get good health care from a system that isn't set up to be patient-friendly. There are really good tips on how to get the most out of your plan. Instead of focusing on what's wrong, Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg tell you what you can do to make it work. They are especially good on telling how to build good relationships with the health professionals that you have to depend on within the HMO system. ... Read more

Book Description

The HMO system is supposed to stop greedy doctors and hospitals from viewing patients as sources of profit. But Health Against Wealth reveals that when you are confronting a medical emergency, the HMO system's cost-saving rules can jeopardize your life. This book, said the Cleveland Plain Dealer, is a "chilling portrait of the many ways in which HMOs can be hazardous to your health." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Balanced, unflinching examination of the health care system.
As a journalist, not a health service provider, Mr. Anders brings credibility to his examination of our current health care system. His matter-of-fact style and even-handed presentation of the abuses of the traditional, fee for service model, the positive strengths of managed care, and the responsibility of the consumer in building a workable system further enhance his credibility. In this broad review of health care, Mr. Anders points out that the initial goal of managed care was to secure high quality, affordable, efficient health care by making sure patients received the right treatment by the right provider at the right time. He credits HMO's with redirecting medical priorities to preventive care away from costly, late-stage care. Mr. Anders discusses how the well-intended but inappropriate application of traditional business practices accidently created powerful loopholes and incentives for abuse, in part, because consumers and purchasers were naive about the great potential for unethical profiteering by managed care. The organization of the book makes the complicated issues in health care more understandable. Complex issues are discussed in separate chapters organized by topic areas such as emergency care, medicare and mental health care. Mr. Anders combines factual technical information with evocative personal testimonies from patients, providers, managed care executives and others. Mr. Anders' bottom line is that truly sick, vulnerable or atypical patients are poorly served by for-profit managed care. While Mr. Anders mainly focuses on the dark side of managed care, a great strength of the book is that he does not leave the reader feeling hopelesss or overwhelmed. In his final two chapters, he addresses quality and gives specific suggestions for building a balanced, better system. This easy read is an indispensible resource for those interested in promoting a health care system characterized by compassion, competence, and cost-effectiveness. ... Read more

Book Description

Risk management for health care institutions involves the protection of the assets of the organizations, agencies, and individual providers from liability. A strategic approach can result in significant cost savings. Risk Management in Health Care Institutions: A Strategic Approach offers governing boards, chief executive officers, administrators, and health profession students the opportunity to organize and devise a successful risk management program. Experts in risk management have contributed comprehensive, up-to-date syntheses of relevant topics to assist with practical risk management strategies. ... Read more

Book Description

" This important book reveals why the young start smoking and why, as adults, they regret having started.It is a great contribution to helping end a national epidemic."

— CHERYL HEALTON, President/CEO, American Legacy Foundation

"This book is a must for everyone concerned about how to address the problem of tobacco use among young people. Virtually all new smokers are children. Many of them are in their early teens and one out of every three children who begin to smoke will die prematurely because of their use of tobacco. This book includes the most objective, thorough and authoritative research to date on the critical question about whether young people fully understand the consequences of their decision to smoke at the time they start and whether they are able to make rational decisions about this vitally important decision. It leaves the reader with no doubt about the value of efforts to better educate our young people and to empower them to resist the lure of tobacco marketing."

— MATTHEW MYERS, President, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

Do individuals really know and understand the risks entailed by their smoking decisions? The question is particularly important in the case of young persons, because most smokers start during childhood and adolescence. After years of intense publicity about the damages of smoking, it is generally believed that every teenager and adult in the U.S. knows that smoking is dangerous to health, thus decisions to smoke are informed choices. This book presents a counter-view, based on a survey of several thousand young persons and adults, probing attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and perceptions of risk associated with smoking. The authors agree that young smokers give little or no thought to health risks or the problems of addiction. The survey data contradicts the model of informed, rational choice and underscores the need for aggressive policies to counter tobacco firms’ marketing and promotional efforts and to restrict youth access to tobacco.

Book Description

Since the appearance of Waitzkin's "The Second Sickness", a landmark book of the 1980s, American medicine has been dramatically transformed. Waitzkin's earlier edition used qualitative research to take readers inside the "black box" of medical decisionmaking. This new, fully updated and expanded edition retains the earlier edition's vivid approach and adds timely analysis of how managed care and other economic and social forces influence medical practice today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THE textbook for travel medicine providers
This is the a very well written, and one of the most comprehensive books on travel medicine available today. It is focused specifically for travel health care providers - but it would also be very useful as a resource for the avid traveler. If you are thinking about starting a travel clinic - this is a must have. ... Read more

Book Description

The first complete guide to the quantitative assessment of risks to humans posed by infectious agents in all environmental media.

Recent highly-publicized infectious disease outbreaks in the United States and abroad have engendered mounting political pressure to require the use of quantitative techniques in the assessment of the risks of human exposure to an array of microorganisms. While traditional indicator methods for pathogen assessment and control have always left much to be desired, it is only with the advent of modern microbial methods that it is now possible to establish rigorous testing protocols for infectious agents comparable to those in place for chemical agents and other contaminants. A book whose time has come, Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment equips environmental and public health professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to comply with the rapidly growing demand for quantitative risk testing of infectious agents.

Authored by an interdisciplinary team of experts from the fields of environmental engineering, marine science, and soil and water science, this is the first comprehensive guide to state-of-the-art quantitative microbial risk assessment methods. It provides you with:
* Exhaustive coverage of potential infectious agents and their modes of transmission.
* Systematic presentations of quantitative risk, hazard, and exposure assessment techniques.
* Numerous worked examples throughout the book.
* Fascinating case studies illustrating the application of quantitative methods to various situations.

Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment is an important working resource for professionals in the fields of environmental health, environmental engineering, public health, and microbiology. It is also an excellent graduate-level text for students of those disciplines. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A wonderful book!
This is a very practical book dealing with quantitative aspects of microbial risk assessment. Nicely written and very useful!

A unique contribution to risk assessment
This book synthesizes diverse materials from microbiology, statistics, and risk assessment, covers applications to water, food and other exposures to infectious pathogens ... Read more

Book Description

The first volume to present a coherent picture and introduce a specific conceptual framework, Quality of Life in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation convincingly argues quality of life as the common concept linking health promotion and rehabilitation. Although quality of life issues are receiving increased attention from both researchers and service providers in the health arena, no other volume deals with the quality of life in terms of health promotion and rehabilitation. Following an introduction to key themes and concepts, contributors representing a broad spectrum of disciplines and perspectives review the conceptual basis for understanding and discussing quality of life in health promotion and rehabilitation. This comprehensive volume discusses current social issues such as HIV and homelessness, abilities and disabilities such as communication disorders and the aging process, and major life activities such as employment and leisure as they relate to the quality of life. Various populations, including adolescents, the elderly, the homeless, and persons with AIDS, are represented. Finally, key themes are deliberated in terms of their implications for future conceptualization, research, practice, and policy development in health promotion and rehabilitation. Quality of Life in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation is essential reading for students, researchers, and practitioners in a wide variety of disciplines including health promotion, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, nursing, physical therapy, sociology, social work, psychology, and public health. ... Read more

Book Description

This data-rich work examines today's most compelling and controversial public health issues, including alcohol and drug abuse, AIDS, abortion, black and infant mortality, drug-affected babies, child abuse, teenage prenancy, and cigarette smoking. Hammerle's theme is that individual behavioral choices often have far-reaching and costly effects. When practiced by large numbers of people, the human and fiscal costs can be monumental, taxing virtually all our social systems as well as our financial resources. Hammerle enumerates these costs and, employing economic analytical tools, recommends public policies that will reduce the incidence of such behavior or otherwise reduce its social cost. ... Read more

Book Description

Culture/Place/Health is the first exploration of cultural-geographical health research of the decade, drawing on contemporary research undertaken by geogrphers and other social scientist to explore the links between culture, place and health. It uses a wealth of examples from societies around the world to be the place of culture in shaping relations between health and place. It contributes to an expanding of horizons at the intersection of hte discipline of geography and the multi-disciplinary domain of health concerns. ... Read more