Health planning is a critical component when responding to the health needs of low and middle income countries, characterised by particularly stringent resource constraints. The major communicable diseases such as AIDS, TB and malaria often appear in parallel with growing non-communicable diseases including heart disease and diabetes, and yet resources are often less than the levels recommended by the World Health Organisation for basic health care. The new edition of this well-respected text explains the importance of health planning in both developing regions such as Africa, and those in transition, such as Central and Eastern Europe. It stresses the importance of understanding the national and international context in which planning occurs, and provides an up to date analysis of the major current policy issues, including health reforms. Separate chapters are dedicated to the distinct issues of finance for health care and human resource planning. The various techniques used at each stage of the planning process are explained, starting with the situational analysis and then looking in turn at priority-setting, option appraisal, programming, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The book ends by examining the challenges facing planners in the 21st century, particularly in the light of growing globalisation. A major theme of the book is the need to recognise and reconcile the inevitable tension that lies between value judgements and 'rational' decision-making. As such, in addition to introducing techniques such as costing and economic appraisal, it also outlines techniques such as stakeholder analysis for understanding the relative attitudes and power of different groups in planning decisions. Each chapter includes a comprehensive bibliography (including key websites), a summary, and exercises to help the reader practise techniques and better understand the content. The book argues that all health professionals and community groups should be involved in the planning process for it to be effective, and will therefore appeal to anyone involved in planning.
Makes the case for systems thinking in an easily accessible form for a broad interdisciplinary audience, including health system stewards, programme implementers, researchers, evaluators, and funding partners.
The planning and design of healthcare facilities has evolved over the previous decades from "function follows design" to "design follows function." Facilities stressed the functions of healthcare providers but patient experience was not fully considered. The design process has now crucially evolved, and currently, the impression a hospital conveys to its patients and community is the primary concern. The facilities must be welcoming, comfortable, and exude a commitment to patient well-being. Rapid changes and burgeoning technologies are now major considerations in facility design. Without flexibility, hospitals face quicker obsolescence if designs are not forward-thinking. Planning and Designing Healthcare Facilities: A Lean, Innovative, and Evidence-Based Approach explores recent developments in hospital design. Medical facilities have been adapted to the requirements of clinical functions. Recently, the needs of patients and clinical pathways have been recognized. With the patient at the center of the process, the flow of tasks becomes the guiding principle as hospital design must employ evidence-based thinking, and process management methods such as Lean become central. The authors explain new concepts to reduce healthcare delivery cost, but keep quality the primary consideration. Concepts such as sustainability (i.e., Green Hospitals) and the use of new tools and technologies, such as information and communication technology (ICT), Lean, and evidence-based planning and innovations are fully explained.
This book concerns itself with the key question: how to improve health in a cost effective and politically acceptable way. What makes people healthy? Why are the poor less healthy than the rich? Why do some countries have a better health record than others? An Introduction to Health is divided into four parts comprising the determinants of health, health service planning, health service financing, and controlling costs and securing user-friendly services.
The Second Edition of Health Program Planning and Evaluation will help you to systematically develop, thoughtfully implement, and rigorously evaluate health programs across a variety of health disciplines. This thorough revision includes updated examples and references throughout, reflecting the major changes within the field. This outstanding resource prepares students and professionals to become savvy consumers of evaluation reports and prudent users of evaluation consultants. It presents practical tools and concepts in language suitable for both the practicing and novice health program planner and evaluator.
Essentials of Strategic Planning in Healthcare introduces readers to the factors influencing the strategic planning process in hospitals and other health services institutions today. Structured around a comprehensive case study and accompanying end-of-chapter exercises, this text places readers in the planner's seat, asking them to apply what they have learned to lead the hospital in the case study to success. Topics covered include: The role leadership plays in strategic planning Organizational factors critical to strategic planning Completing a SWOT analysis Analytical tools that support strategic planning Key data sources available to planners Strategic opportunities presented by pay-for-performance initiatives Communicating the strategic plan to multiple stakeholders Linking the strategic plan to operating performance Physician involvement in strategic planning Strategic planning initiatives across the continuum of care Hospital-physician integration models Factors affecting strategic planning in the post-acute care industry Jeffrey P. Harrison, PhD, FACHE, is an associate professor of health administration at the University of North Florida. Previously, Dr. Harrison held a wide range of managerial positions, including chief operating officer of a hospital, director of a large medical group, and leader at the health system level. He is founder and president of Harrison Consulting Group, Inc., a healthcare consulting firm.
Health Care Administration continues to be the definitive guide to contemporary health administration and is a must-have reference for students and professionals. This classic text provides comprehensive coverage of detailed functional, technical, and organizational matters.
This book is concerned with orienting health care workers in district health systems in developing countries to ways and means of overcoming problems, and describes briefly how district health systems can be improved. The book is organized around nine issues in nine chapters, each of which is an integral part of a district planning cycle. The opening three chapters show how to assess the existing district health system in terms of national policies and support, analysis of the current system, and evaluation of district priorities. Chapters 4 through 7 focus on actions to be taken. The initial task of setting goals is discussed using examples and establishing general categories. The book next treats the action program including curative services, maternal and child health and health promotion, and prevention and control of disease. The next chapter focuses on the increase in program effectiveness brought about by joint action of families, individuals, and communities. Chapter 7 discusses key issues pertaining to good operational management. The final two chapters focus on monitoring (i.e., the use of tracer diseases and sentinel sites) and tips for evaluating interventions and learning from experience. Nine figures, 10 tables, and practical examples and case histories accompany the text. A list of 12 references is appended. (JB)
The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.