Global Health Systems ─ Comparing Strategies for Delivering Health Services

Lovett-Scott and Prather (nursing and public administration, College at Brockport, State U. of New York) survey healthcare access and delivery in 11 developing and industrialized countries, for undergraduate and beginning graduate students in health-related disciplines, and professors, healthcare administrators, and public health clinicians and administrators. They aim to demonstrate what can be learned from healthcare systems around the world, to help improve the US system, and how healthcare leaders should shift their focus from management to leadership. After discussing health challenges in the US, the factors of race and age in disparities, and an eight factor model for evaluating access, they examine systems in the US, Canada, Japan, the UK, France, Italy, Brazil, Cuba, India, the Russian Federation, and Ghana, and their history, structure, financing, interventions, prevention, resources, major health issues, and disparities, along with case scenarios. They end with a section on behavioral health care, comparative health systems, and the leadership needed. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)