The U.S. Health System: Origins and Functions

THE U.S. HEALTH SYSTEM offers both a historical and current perspective of the delivery of health care in the United States. You will learn about the origins of our health system, the forces that have influenced its change, and how the system has responded to those forces of change to become what it is today. Key topics include costs, financing and access to health care, as well as a look at the various systems for delivering health care. Reform efforts are also discussed and new chapters on information management systems, health status and health care utilization, and public health have been introduced. Each chapter poses topics for further debate in a Question of Ethics and provides hands-on exercises in the Activity-Based Learning sections. Exhibits in each chapter will stimulate discussion on the various chapter topics.