A Brief Guide to the U. S. Health Care Delivery System : Facts, Definitions, and Statistics

An updated, quick-study reference and introduction to U.S. health care system providers, payers, regulators, clinicians, and their patients. Its easy to use question-and-answer format presents compelling facts and pertinent data on emerging trends, plus details on hospital department infrastructure. The book provides a concise overview with particular emphasis on the hospital and is meant as a short introduction to a very complex subject. Each chapter takes a major segment of the system and provides basic information, data, and coverage of major current issues. Each question-and-answer entry serves as a quick reference for the topic being addressed. Taken as a whole, the book presents a solid view of how the various constituencies in health care fit together. Authoritative, primary sources are used extensively throughout the book. Complete bibliographic citations, including Websites, are provided in reference lists.