Two leading physicians' prescription for solving our health care problems: organizing the fragmented system that delivers care. One of the most daunting challenges facing the new U.S. administration is health care reform. The size of the system, the number of stakeholders, and ever-rising costs make the problem seem almost intractable. But in Chaos and Organization in Health Care, two leading physicians offer an optimistic prognosis. In their frontline work as providers, Thomas Lee and James Mongan see the inefficiency, the missed opportunities, and the occasional harm that can result from the current system. The root cause of these problems, they argue, is chaos in the delivery of care. If the problem is chaos, the solution is organization, and in this timely and outspoken book, they offer a plan. In many ways, this chaos is caused by something good: the dramatic progress in medical science—the explosion of medical knowledge and the exponential increase in treatment options. Imposed on a fragmented system of small practices and individual patients with multiple providers, progress results in chaos. Lee and Mongan argue that attacking this chaos is even more important than whether health care is managed by government or controlled by market forces. Some providers are already tightly organized, adapting management principles from business and offering care that is by many measures safer, better, and less costly. Lee and Mongan propose multiple strategies that can be adopted nationwide, including electronic medical records and information systems for sharing knowledge; team-based care, with doctors and other providers working together; and disease management programs to coordinate care for the sickest patients.

Kaiser Permanente is the largest nonprofit healthcare system in the world and is a leader in integrated medical care. A team-based approach that draws on the strengths of the healthcare organization as well as on community resources, integrated care is a most cost-efficient healthcare business model. It also gives patients an all-important sense of control over their conditions and provides the kind of care they can navigate and trust.In From Chaos to Care, Dr. Lawrence shows how integrated care succeeds on both the organizational and human fronts. A blueprint for change and a manifesto for the implementation of satisfying and cost-effective healthcare for all, From Chaos to Care illuminates the path to the future of American medical care.

Statistics and evidence-based medicine are assessed in most postgraduate and undergraduate medical examinations and degrees in health sciences. All clinicians have to acquire skills in this area. This book aims to provide a brief overview of basic medical statistics and the numerical aspects of evidence-based medicine to give realistic worked examples to illustrate the interpretation of studies relevant to clinical practice and to allow examination practice. It aims to cover all major topics covered in the undergraduate and postgraduate examinations. Each chapter begins with an overview and summary of the main points followed by worked examples and exercises with full answers. It will be ideal for all postgraduate medical examination candidates. Other clincians and undergraduate students in medicine and health sciences will also find it useful.

Managing Mental Health in the Community is a guide to best practice in the management of community care for people with mental health problems. A major theme is how to balance the 'triangle of care' that represents the needs and concerns of the user, carer (professional or family) and community. Rather than focusing on the mechanics of the task, this book aims to encourage reflective practice amongst staff, managers and policy-makers. The experienced practitioners who contribute not only challenge some of the assumptions prevalent in the field, but also present some tried and tested interventions used to enable users, staff and managers to function more effectively in community settings. They consider: * how community care has developed * the fundamental concepts of community care * how management is affected by practice * how care systems are designed. Managing Mental Health in the Community should be essential reading for Mental Health Practitioners, Managers, Social Workers, Policy-Makers, Organizational Consultants and all those professionals who are committed to improving the quality of mental health services provided in the community.

This book illustrates the relevance of chaos and complexity theory to healthcare organisations, public health, clinical governance and the consultation. It explains the terms and ideas at the heart of complexity, the unfamiliar science behind it, and how it applies to the real world. In healthcare, the NHS is a complex adaptive system. So are hospitals, general practices, diseases and patients. The book describes how insights from complexity can help us better understand how organisations, patients or disease develop over time, in an often unpredictable manner. Contributors set out the benefits of applying complexity to their own particular areas of healthcare. Complexity and Healthcare will be of special interest to clinicians and managers in primary and secondary care, researchers and academics, and in particular, general practitioners and public health professionals.

Drawing on the expertise of decision-making professionals, leaders, and managers in health care organizations, Hospitals & Health Care Organizations: Management Strategies, Operational Techniques, Tools, Templates, and Case Studies addresses decreasing revenues, increasing costs, and growing consumer expectations in today’s increasingly competitive health care market. Offering practical experience and applied operating vision, the authors integrate Lean managerial applications, and regulatory perspectives with real-world case studies, models, reports, charts, tables, diagrams, and sample contracts. The result is an integration of post PP-ACA market competition insight with Lean management and operational strategies vital to all health care administrators, comptrollers, and physician executives. The text is divided into three sections: Managerial Fundamentals Policy and Procedures Strategies and Execution Using an engaging style, the book is filled with authoritative guidance, practical health care–centered discussions, templates, checklists, and clinical examples to provide you with the tools to build a clinically efficient system. Its wide-ranging coverage includes hard-to-find topics such as hospital inventory management, capital formation, and revenue cycle enhancement. Health care leadership, governance, and compliance practices like OSHA, HIPAA, Sarbanes–Oxley, and emerging ACO model policies are included. Health 2.0 information technologies, EMRs, CPOEs, and social media collaboration are also covered, as are 5S, Six Sigma, and other logistical enhancing flow-through principles. The result is a must-have, "how-to" book for all industry participants.

This book looks at the current turmoil facing contemporary healthcare systems worldwide, which has resulted from relentless reorganization being imposed upon them, and argues for a return to a values-based approach to healthcare. Writing from the unique and fresh perspective of social anthropology, the author takes a highly logical approach to practice and emphasizes the importance of values such as compassion, solidarity and social justice. He stipulates that without being able to clearly identify the values and goals that unite its members, healthcare organizations are unlikely to be able to meet the demands of the constant and varied pressures they face, and explains how individuals at every level in healthcare can contribute to positive change within their organizations. This much-needed and highly accessible book will be essential reading for anyone interested in healthcare reform from clinicians and nurses, to managers and policy makers as well as the interested reader.