Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System: .

by Leiyu Shi, Douglas A. Singh

Written by best-selling authors Leiyu Shi and Douglas Singh, Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System is the most concise examination of the basic structures and operations of the U.S. health system. An ideal resource for courses in health policy, allied health, health administration and more, the text clarifies the complexities of health care organization and finance and presents a solid overview of how the various components fit together.

The Third Edition is a comprehensive update that offers new data, charts, and tables throughout the book, as well as updated ancillary materials.

New to the Third
• Data updated throughout the book reflected in tables and text
• Information on Healthy People 2020 initiative
• New material on U.S. health reform throughout the book
• New materials on disparities initiatives
• Updated conceptual framework on determinants of health
• Mental health services in their historical context
• Patient centered care
• The Magnet recognition program of the American Nurses Credentialing Center
• Critical access hospitals
• Accountable care organizations
• Updates on vulnerable populations
• New information on health centers and safety-net providers
• Revised perspectives on the future of health care in America

Genres: Nonfiction, College, Health Care, Read For School

382 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Rae (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never given a textbook 5 stars, but this one deserves it in my opinion. This does such a great job of introducing you to the intricacies of the US Healthcare system, in an understandable and interesting way.
I read it cover to cover, every word. And I wasn't really bored. Like what? 🤯 There are several terms that can interrupt the flow of the text, but all textbooks do that.
This gives you a pretty extensive look into the Affordable Care Act that is pretty much fact-forward with limited bias. Something my numerous research couldn't do. The healthcare system changes rapidly, so even though this was published relatively recent, you will see some outdated information.
This textbook also taught me the most important thing- we need to scrap the entirely fucked system and start from scratch. Start over so it wasn't built only for doctors and insurances profits. Because WTF America.

[Mark Hite · Rating 2 out of 5]

redundant after a while

[Iralia Figueroa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is the textbook from a class I took. We read all 14 chapters very informative about how health care started.

[Violeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

super helpful in understanding the basics of healthcare. and i actually enjoyed reading through this textbook.

[adri♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful book about basics of the united states healthcare system

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is the prospective reader interested in a quick survey of the American health care system? Then this book would probably be of value to you. Does one want a detailed exposition of that system? This would not work so well for that purpose.

This volume covers the waterfront.

The first set of chapters provides a good background: characteristics of the healthcare system, general perspectives on health care delivery (including cultural vales and what we mean by health), a history of the system, and so on.

Other central issues are covered chapter by chapter. Examples of the coverage: the role of technology, healthcare finance, managed care, long-term care, cost-access-quality (all three covered in one chapter leaves actual details thinly covered, but it does provide an entree to these linked concerns), health policy, and the future of the healthcare system. Other issues are covered as well.

All in all, a helpful volume if you want a quick overview of the complexity of the healthcare system.

[David Little · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice overview of the US health system. I wouldn't recommend for folks who already have a basic understanding of the structure and current problems. The chapter on healthcare reform is rudimentary. Too basic.

[Elena]

Very informative, but a little outdated (this only included information up to 2017)

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

written in corporate-speak, i.e.

"To obtain recognition, programs must submit an application with adequate documentation of evidence that specific processes and policies are in place"

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the final for this class in one hour!

I think this book was very good for my class on the Health Care System of the United States and provided material that was really relevant and useful for my assignments. It was a little dense at the beginning, mainly because I have little background knowledge about the health care system, but the background was eventually provided in class.

Overall I definitely recommend it for anyone who is interested in learning more about health care here in the United States.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat shallow overview of the US health care system, with some references to systems in other countries. It does a good job of introducing terminology and current issues, but does not provide any information on the federal agencies that provide regulations other than mentioning them. In addition, the history is so brief, that one does not get a true understanding of how things developed or why. This book is more appropriate to an undergraduate audience than a graduate one.

[المعلوماتية الصحية · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction to U.S. H.C System

[V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well researched book regarding the U.S. Health Care System. The text was engaging and interesting.

[Amanda W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this textbook. It was really relevant to today's discussion on health care and offered an unbiased approach to the ACA.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this as a textbook for my class this semester. It was very informative and not as boring as other texts I have been required to read.