Now in its 10th edition, this best-selling introductory text, valued for its balanced overview of the U.S. health care system, has been fully updated to help students stay at the forefront of the dynamic and complex health care field.
Jonas’ Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System continues to offer a foundational framework that concisely explains the core elements and functions of the system. The text provides an essential understanding of the current state of the health care system, as well as the factors influencing its future state. Students also benefit from the special emphasis given to the evolution of the health care system and to identification of the underlying values that influence health care policy.
Well-organized and easily accessible, the 10th edition prepares the next generation of health care leaders—from health care management, public health, medicine, nursing, allied health, and health policy—to comprehend the variety of forces that shape the field in which they will practice so they can navigate change and improve the health system’s record on quality, safety, value, access, and equity.
New to the 10th Edition:
- Expanded coverage of telehealth, advanced consumer medical devices, apps, and remote patient monitoring
- Updated treatment of the social and political determinants of health
- Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic including the health care system’s resiliency in the face of adversity
- Updated content on the diverse health care workforce and its functions
- Discussion of important financing issues including value-based care and alternative payment models as well as the impact of private equity funding, consolidation, and consumerism
- Significantly updated sections across the continuum of care including self-care, adult day services, hospice, long-term care, and others
Key Features
- The most concise and balanced introduction to the U.S. health care system
- Engaging visual content including cartoons, graphs, and tables that consolidate key information about health care system performance, workforce trends, health care financing, and policy changes
- Qualified instructors have access to this edition’s expanded Instructor Resources featuring new learning activities, engaging case studies, and additional resources to supplement students’ dynamic learning and interaction with the text
Table of Content
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
PART I. U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: PRESENT STATE
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. The Settings for Health Care Delivery
Chapter 3. The People who Provide Health Care
Chapter 4. Medicines, Devices, and Technology
Chapter 5. Government and the Health Care System
Chapter 6. Financing the Health Care System
Chapter 7. Health Care System Performance
PART II. THE CHANGING U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING
Chapter 8. Debates That Have Structured Health Care System Change
Chapter 9. History of Change From 1900 to 2010: Incrementalism
Chapter 10. History of Change From 1900 to 2010: Comprehensive Reform
Chapter 11. The Affordable Care Act and Health Care Reform After its Passage
Chapter 12. Prospects for the U.S. Health Care System
Index
About the author
Karen Goldsteen, Ph D, MPH, is affiliated research associate professor of Family, Population & Preventive Medicine at the Health Sciences Center, Stony Brook University.