The Dark Side of Healthcare draws uncomfortable lessons from over 300 case studies of events that occurred in the healthcare sector. Health services have many skilled and dedicated professionals but there is a dark side that cannot be ignored. The unthinkable has happened and might have been prevented.The case studies from many countries include serial killers with a health background, drugs and medical devices that proved to be dangerous, negligent and poor clinical practices, as well as incompetent and weak management that led to failing hospitals and harm to patients. There are also corruption cases, accidents at work, and cases involving the sexual exploitation of children. Politicians' early responses to COVID-19 and the subsequent missteps are also scrutinised. Many of the errors and omissions that led to patient harm have been repeated.This book is not an attack on health services or health professionals. Instead, it is a search for ways of making health delivery safer for patients and staff who deliver care often in challenging circumstances. Its focus is learning rather than blame.
"Illustrates the depth and breadth of the challenge of making healthcare better and safer Presents case studies from numerous countries, emphasising the international nature of the healthcare issues Prompts politicians, senior professionals and managers to address the question "Could any of these events happen in my organisation and what could we do to prevent it?""--
"The Nation has lost sight of its public health goals and has allowed the system of public health to fall into 'disarray'," from The Future of Public Health. This startling book contains proposals for ensuring that public health service programs are efficient and effective enough to deal not only with the topics of today, but also with those of tomorrow. In addition, the authors make recommendations for core functions in public health assessment, policy development, and service assurances, and identify the level of government--federal, state, and local--at which these functions would best be handled.
Case Studies in Public Health contains selected case studies of some of the most important and influential moments in medicine and epidemiology. The cases chosen for this collection represent a wide array of public health issues that go into the makeup of what can be termed the New Public Health (NPH), which includes traditional public health, such as sanitation, hygiene and infectious disease control, but widens its perspective to include the organization, financing and quality of health care services in a much broader sense. Each case study is presented in a systematic fashion to facilitate learning, with the case, background, current relevance, economic issues, ethical issues, conclusions, recommendation and references discussed for each case. The book is a valuable resource for advanced students and researchers with specialized knowledge who need further information on the general background and history of public health and important scientific discoveries within the field. It is an ideal resource for students in public health, epidemiology, medicine, anthropology, and sociology, and for those interested in how to apply lessons from the past to present and future research. - Explores the history of public health through important scientific events and flashpoints - Presents case studies in a clear, direct style that is easy to follow - Uses a systematic approach to help learn lessons from the past and apply them to the present
By New Yorker and Atlantic writer Carl Elliott, a readable and even funny account of the serious business of medicine. A tongue-in-cheek account of the changes that have transformed medicine into big business. Physician and medical ethicist Carl Elliott tracks the new world of commercialized medicine from start to finish, introducing the professional guinea pigs, ghostwriters, thought leaders, drug reps, public relations pros, and even medical ethicists who use medicine for (sometimes huge) financial gain. Along the way, he uncovers the cost to patients lost in a health-care universe centered around consumerism.
This is the future. Join the revolution. Transform your organization the Cleveland Clinic way. "One of the best healthcare systems in the world." President Barack Obama American healthcare is in crisis. It doesn't have to be. There's a revolution going on right now. On the frontiers of medicine, some doctors have developed an approach for treating people that is more effective, more humane, and more affordable. It's an approach to healthcare that has captured the attention of the media and business elite--and the President of the United States. It's all happening at Cleveland Clinic, one of the most innovative, forward-looking medical institutions in the nation. In this groundbreaking book, the man who leads this global organization, Toby Cosgrove, MD, reveals how the Clinic works so well and argues persuasively for why it should be the model for the nation. He details how Cleveland Clinic focuses on the eight key trends that are shaping the future of medicine. Readers will learn: Why group practices provide not only better--but cheaper--care Why collaborative medicine is more effective How big data can be harnessed to improve the quality of care and lower costs How cooperative practices can be the wellspring of innovation Why empathy is crucial to better patient outcomes Why wellness of both mind and body depends on healthcare, not sickcare How care is best provided in different settings for greater comfort and value How tailor-made care treats a person instead of a disease This enhanced eBook includes 8 videos that include interviews with the doctors and executives who helped shape the Cleveland Clinic’s successful strategy. It also includes visuals of patients/doctor interactions and the hospital’s facilities. At its core is Cleveland Clinic's emphasis on patient care and patient experience. A refreshingly positive and practical vision of healthcare, The Cleveland Clinic Way is essential reading for healthcare and business executives, medical professionals, industry analysts, and policymakers. It gives leaders lessons they can apply to their own organizations to achieve results and empowers average Americans to make more informed healthcare decisions. PRAISE FOR THE CLEVELAND CLINIC WAY "A brilliant doctor and leader lays out practical and thought-provoking prescriptions for America's healthcare future. A must-read." -- Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric Company "The Cleveland Clinic Way is what the healthcare system in this country needs: honesty about the challenges, optimism about our ability to address them, and a focus on solutions. A must-read for healthcare leaders, it's written in clear, inclusive language that makes it just as valuable for the rest of us." -- John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco "A pioneer in American healthcare, Toby Cosgrove shows just how the diligence and innovative thinking behind Cleveland Clinic has helped solve fundamental problems most other places barely touch. There are lessons here for everyone--patient, physician, and policymaker alike." -- Atul Gawande, MD, professor at Harvard Medical School and bestselling author of The Checklist Manifesto "Toby Cosgrove frames the eight important trends that will transform the U.S. healthcare system. The Cleveland Clinic Way is a good road map for those who want to make the U.S. healthcare system better." -- Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric Company
DEMYSTIFYING RESEARCH FOR MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE STUDENTS All healthcare students need to understand research methods to be able to understand research articles and to actively engage in research where necessary. Most clinical programs include research training within their courses, and many students are required to undertake an assessed research project—both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Breaking down the jargon barriers of research methods, and designed for those new to the world of research, Demystifying Research is a straightforward and highly accessible guide to fundamental research methods, approaches, and skills. This student-friendly resource describes quantitative and qualitative research approaches, mixed research methods, research ethics and governance, research skills and more. Step-by-step, students learn to appraise research in scholarly articles, design a project, and conduct research in the lab, in clinical practice, and other real-life situations. Technical jargon and classic research are explained in plain English, while relevant theory is illustrated through relatable examples of research in practice. Designed to make learning about research easy, this valuable guide: Explains basic research methods in a direct and engaging style Breaks research methods down into manageable, easy-to-digest pieces Defines what research is, and provides an overview of its methods and methodologies Covers all key areas of research, including observational and experimental approaches, and clinical trials Includes real-life examples of successful student research projects Features a companion website containing lecture slides available to download in PowerPoint Demystifying Research is a must-have for undergraduate and postgraduate medical, nursing, other healthcare and social sciences students, as well as professionals looking to refresh their knowledge.
"Today Singapore ranks sixth in the world in healthcare outcomes well ahead of many developed countries, including the United States. The results are all the more significant as Singapore spends less on healthcare than any other high-income country, both as measured by fraction of the Gross Domestic Product spent on health and by costs per person. Singapore achieves these results at less than one-fourth the cost of healthcare in the United States and about half that of Western European countries. Government leaders, presidents and prime ministers, finance ministers and ministers of health, policymakers in congress and parliament, public health officials responsible for healthcare systems planning, finance and operations, as well as those working on healthcare issues in universities and think-tanks should know how this system works to achieve affordable excellence."--Publisher's website.
Until now, research has given us only a limited understanding of how managers actually make sense of and apply management knowledge; how networks of interaction amongst managers help or hinder processes of knowledge diffusion and the sharing of best practice; and how these processes are all influenced both by the organisations in which managers act and by the professional communities of practice they belong to. Managing Modern Healthcare fills these important gaps in our understanding by drawing upon an in-depth study of management networks and practice in three healthcare organisations in the UK. It draws from the primary research a number of important and grounded lessons about how management networks develop and influence the spread of management knowledge and practice; how management training and development relates to the needs of managers facing challenging conditions; and how those conditions are themselves shaping the nature of management in healthcare. This book reveals how managers in practice are responding to the many contemporary challenges facing healthcare (and the NHS in particular) and how they are able or not to effectively exploit sources of knowledge, learning and best practice through the networks of practice they engage in to improve healthcare delivery and healthcare organisational performance. Managing Modern Healthcare makes a number of important theoretical contributions as well as practical recommendations. The theoretical and empirical contributions the book makes relate to wider work on networks and networking, management knowledge, situated learning/communities of practice, professionalization/professional identity and healthcare management more generally. The practical contribution comes in the form of recommendations for healthcare management practitioners and policy makers that are intended to impact upon and help enhance healthcare management delivery and performance.