The Social Prescription

The Social Prescription

Author: Marjorie Stiegler

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2018-08-10

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9781723577925

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Written by an internationally renowned physician expert, The Social Prescription is a social media and digital strategy guide for physicians and healthcare leaders.This book provides an introduction to the 'who, what, why, where, and how' of digital strategy for healthcare leaders, and includes step by step directions for taking action. It includes essential information about why to use social media and other digital platforms, what exactly to do, and how to do it. Why bother with social media? This book will teach you: the current void of physician presence online, and the opportunity that represents for you how social media can benefit physicians, whether academic or in private practice how physician use of digital platforms benefits patients and society Afraid of social media? This book will teach you: the reality about doctors' biggest worries on social media, including liability and privacy concerns how to respond to negative or unexpected interactions pros, cons, and various features of the major social media and digital platforms Ready to get started, but not sure what to do? This book will teach you: how to choose the platform that best matches your professional goals how to develop and communicate your brand - your unique value proposition how digital search engines and social media platforms use algorithms to rank content how to use search engine optimization (SEO) to put your best professional persona forward If you don't have a digital strategy already, you are way behind. You are doing yourself and your patients a disservice. It's easier than you think; this book will show you how. Whether you are interested in establishing your own expertise, or growing your practice, or providing added value for patients, or promoting health literacy or engaging in advocacy, this book will help you get started quickly, safely, and effectively. And you don't have to be tech-savvy to use this book. Dr. Stiegler explains digital mysteries in easy, plain language. Praise for The Social Prescription "Such a joy to read! The conversational style in this book made it fun and very easy to read, which goes very well with the nature of social media itself. An excellent job in both giving an overview of the platforms and their features as well as providing very good practical steps in getting started. Love the actionable guidance here." Audun Utengen, co-founder of Symplur.com, the leading social media analytics company focused solely on healthcare"This book is awesome! As a private client, I used Dr.Stiegler helped me transition from my academic hospital medicine career to a non-clinical career teaching meditation and stress-reduction modalities to healthcare professionals and patients. She helped me navigate the overwhelming world branding, social media, and marketing. She skyrocketed my confidence and the growth of my business. With this book, she's made her expertise available to everyone, with simple, effective, actionable information that's easy to follow. Reading it is like having a one-on-one conversation, while she breaks down a huge topic into manageable, bite-sized pieces. I highly recommend this book!" -Jill Wener, MD, of Conscious Health Meditation, Stress Reduction Expert, and TransforMD Co-founder So, scroll back up, click the 'buy' button, and let's get started today!


Book Synopsis The Social Prescription by : Marjorie Stiegler

Download or read book The Social Prescription written by Marjorie Stiegler and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-08-10 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by an internationally renowned physician expert, The Social Prescription is a social media and digital strategy guide for physicians and healthcare leaders.This book provides an introduction to the 'who, what, why, where, and how' of digital strategy for healthcare leaders, and includes step by step directions for taking action. It includes essential information about why to use social media and other digital platforms, what exactly to do, and how to do it. Why bother with social media? This book will teach you: the current void of physician presence online, and the opportunity that represents for you how social media can benefit physicians, whether academic or in private practice how physician use of digital platforms benefits patients and society Afraid of social media? This book will teach you: the reality about doctors' biggest worries on social media, including liability and privacy concerns how to respond to negative or unexpected interactions pros, cons, and various features of the major social media and digital platforms Ready to get started, but not sure what to do? This book will teach you: how to choose the platform that best matches your professional goals how to develop and communicate your brand - your unique value proposition how digital search engines and social media platforms use algorithms to rank content how to use search engine optimization (SEO) to put your best professional persona forward If you don't have a digital strategy already, you are way behind. You are doing yourself and your patients a disservice. It's easier than you think; this book will show you how. Whether you are interested in establishing your own expertise, or growing your practice, or providing added value for patients, or promoting health literacy or engaging in advocacy, this book will help you get started quickly, safely, and effectively. And you don't have to be tech-savvy to use this book. Dr. Stiegler explains digital mysteries in easy, plain language. Praise for The Social Prescription "Such a joy to read! The conversational style in this book made it fun and very easy to read, which goes very well with the nature of social media itself. An excellent job in both giving an overview of the platforms and their features as well as providing very good practical steps in getting started. Love the actionable guidance here." Audun Utengen, co-founder of Symplur.com, the leading social media analytics company focused solely on healthcare"This book is awesome! As a private client, I used Dr.Stiegler helped me transition from my academic hospital medicine career to a non-clinical career teaching meditation and stress-reduction modalities to healthcare professionals and patients. She helped me navigate the overwhelming world branding, social media, and marketing. She skyrocketed my confidence and the growth of my business. With this book, she's made her expertise available to everyone, with simple, effective, actionable information that's easy to follow. Reading it is like having a one-on-one conversation, while she breaks down a huge topic into manageable, bite-sized pieces. I highly recommend this book!" -Jill Wener, MD, of Conscious Health Meditation, Stress Reduction Expert, and TransforMD Co-founder So, scroll back up, click the 'buy' button, and let's get started today!

Beyond the Psychology Industry

Beyond the Psychology Industry

Author: Paul Rhodes

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2019-12-10

Total Pages: 127

ISBN-13: 3030337626

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This book provides a scholarly yet accessible approach to critical psychology, specifically discussing therapeutic practices that are possible outside of the mainstream psychology industry. While there are many books that deconstruct or dismantle clinical psychology, few provide a compendium of potential alternatives to mainstream practice. Focusing on five main themes in reference to this objective: suffering, decolonization, dialogue, feminism and the arts, these pages explore types of personal inquiry, cultural knowledge or community action that might help explain and heal psychological pain beyond the confines of the therapy room. Chapters focus on the role of cultural knowledge, including spiritual traditions, relational being, art, poetry, feminism and indigenous systems in promoting healing and on community-based-initiatives, including open dialogue, justice-based collaboration and social prescribing. Beyond the Psychology Industry will be of interest to researchers, clinical psychologists, therapists, academics in mental health, and cultural psychologists.


Book Synopsis Beyond the Psychology Industry by : Paul Rhodes

Download or read book Beyond the Psychology Industry written by Paul Rhodes and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-12-10 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a scholarly yet accessible approach to critical psychology, specifically discussing therapeutic practices that are possible outside of the mainstream psychology industry. While there are many books that deconstruct or dismantle clinical psychology, few provide a compendium of potential alternatives to mainstream practice. Focusing on five main themes in reference to this objective: suffering, decolonization, dialogue, feminism and the arts, these pages explore types of personal inquiry, cultural knowledge or community action that might help explain and heal psychological pain beyond the confines of the therapy room. Chapters focus on the role of cultural knowledge, including spiritual traditions, relational being, art, poetry, feminism and indigenous systems in promoting healing and on community-based-initiatives, including open dialogue, justice-based collaboration and social prescribing. Beyond the Psychology Industry will be of interest to researchers, clinical psychologists, therapists, academics in mental health, and cultural psychologists.

Together

Together

Author: Vivek H. Murthy, M.D.

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2020-04-07

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 006291331X

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The book we need NOW to avoid a social recession, Murthy’s prescient message is about the importance of human connection, the hidden impact of loneliness on our health, and the social power of community. Humans are social creatures: In this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking book, the 19th surgeon general of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health, but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society. But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together. The lessons in Together have immediate relevance and application. These four key strategies will help us not only to weather this crisis, but also to heal our social world far into the future. Spend time each day with those you love. Devote at least 15 minutes each day to connecting with those you most care about. Focus on each other. Forget about multitasking and give the other person the gift of your full attention, making eye contact, if possible, and genuinely listening. Embrace solitude. The first step toward building stronger connections with others is to build a stronger connection with oneself. Meditation, prayer, art, music, and time spent outdoors can all be sources of solitary comfort and joy. Help and be helped. Service is a form of human connection that reminds us of our value and purpose in life. Checking on a neighbor, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger six feet away, all can make us stronger. During Murthy’s tenure as Surgeon General and during the research for Together, he found that there were few issues that elicited as much enthusiastic interest from both very conservative and very liberal members of Congress, from young and old people, or from urban and rural residents alike. Loneliness was something so many people have known themselves or have seen in the people around them. In the book, Murthy also shares his own deeply personal experiences with the subject--from struggling with loneliness in school, to the devastating loss of his uncle who succumbed to his own loneliness, as well as the important example of community and connection that his parents modeled. Simply, it’s a universal condition that affects all of us directly or through the people we love—now more than ever.


Book Synopsis Together by : Vivek H. Murthy, M.D.

Download or read book Together written by Vivek H. Murthy, M.D. and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book we need NOW to avoid a social recession, Murthy’s prescient message is about the importance of human connection, the hidden impact of loneliness on our health, and the social power of community. Humans are social creatures: In this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking book, the 19th surgeon general of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health, but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society. But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together. The lessons in Together have immediate relevance and application. These four key strategies will help us not only to weather this crisis, but also to heal our social world far into the future. Spend time each day with those you love. Devote at least 15 minutes each day to connecting with those you most care about. Focus on each other. Forget about multitasking and give the other person the gift of your full attention, making eye contact, if possible, and genuinely listening. Embrace solitude. The first step toward building stronger connections with others is to build a stronger connection with oneself. Meditation, prayer, art, music, and time spent outdoors can all be sources of solitary comfort and joy. Help and be helped. Service is a form of human connection that reminds us of our value and purpose in life. Checking on a neighbor, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger six feet away, all can make us stronger. During Murthy’s tenure as Surgeon General and during the research for Together, he found that there were few issues that elicited as much enthusiastic interest from both very conservative and very liberal members of Congress, from young and old people, or from urban and rural residents alike. Loneliness was something so many people have known themselves or have seen in the people around them. In the book, Murthy also shares his own deeply personal experiences with the subject--from struggling with loneliness in school, to the devastating loss of his uncle who succumbed to his own loneliness, as well as the important example of community and connection that his parents modeled. Simply, it’s a universal condition that affects all of us directly or through the people we love—now more than ever.

The Risks of Prescription Drugs

The Risks of Prescription Drugs

Author: Donald Light

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 179

ISBN-13: 0231146922

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Few people realize that prescription drugs have become a leading cause of death, disease, and disability. Adverse reactions to widely used drugs, such as psychotropics and birth control pills, as well as biologicals, result in FDA warnings against adverse reactions. The Risks of Prescription Drugs describes how most drugs approved by the FDA are under-tested for adverse drug reactions, yet offer few new benefits. Drugs cause more than 2.2 million hospitalizations and 110,000 hospital-based deaths a year. Serious drug reactions at home or in nursing homes would significantly raise the total. Women, older people, and people with disabilities are least used in clinical trials and most affected. Health policy experts Donald Light, Howard Brody, Peter Conrad, Allan Horwitz, and Cheryl Stults describe how current regulations reward drug companies to expand clinical risks and create new diseases so millions of patients are exposed to unnecessary risks, especially women and the elderly. They reward developing marginally better drugs rather than discovering breakthrough, life-saving drugs. The Risks of Prescription Drugs tackles critical questions about the pharmaceutical industry and the privatization of risk. To what extent does the FDA protect the public from serious side effects and disasters? What is the effect of giving the private sector and markets a greater role and reducing public oversight? This volume considers whether current rules and incentives put patients' health at greater risk, the effect of the expansion of disease categories, the industry's justification of high U.S. prices, and the underlying shifts in the burden of risk borne by individuals in the world of pharmaceuticals. Chapters cover risks of statins for high cholesterol, SSRI drugs for depression and anxiety, and hormone replacement therapy for menopause. A final chapter outlines six changes to make drugs safer and more effective. Suitable for courses on health and aging, gender, disability, and minority studies, this book identifies the Risk Proliferation Syndrome that maximizes the number of people exposed to these risks. Additional Columbia / SSRC books on the privatization of risk and its implications for Americans: Bailouts: Public Money, Private ProfitEdited by Robert E. Wright Disaster and the Politics of InterventionEdited by Andrew Lakoff Health at Risk: America's Ailing Health System-and How to Heal ItEdited by Jacob S. Hacker Laid Off, Laid Low: Political and Economic Consequences of Employment InsecurityEdited by Katherine S. Newman Pensions, Social Security, and the Privatization of RiskEdited by Mitchell A. Orenstein


Book Synopsis The Risks of Prescription Drugs by : Donald Light

Download or read book The Risks of Prescription Drugs written by Donald Light and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few people realize that prescription drugs have become a leading cause of death, disease, and disability. Adverse reactions to widely used drugs, such as psychotropics and birth control pills, as well as biologicals, result in FDA warnings against adverse reactions. The Risks of Prescription Drugs describes how most drugs approved by the FDA are under-tested for adverse drug reactions, yet offer few new benefits. Drugs cause more than 2.2 million hospitalizations and 110,000 hospital-based deaths a year. Serious drug reactions at home or in nursing homes would significantly raise the total. Women, older people, and people with disabilities are least used in clinical trials and most affected. Health policy experts Donald Light, Howard Brody, Peter Conrad, Allan Horwitz, and Cheryl Stults describe how current regulations reward drug companies to expand clinical risks and create new diseases so millions of patients are exposed to unnecessary risks, especially women and the elderly. They reward developing marginally better drugs rather than discovering breakthrough, life-saving drugs. The Risks of Prescription Drugs tackles critical questions about the pharmaceutical industry and the privatization of risk. To what extent does the FDA protect the public from serious side effects and disasters? What is the effect of giving the private sector and markets a greater role and reducing public oversight? This volume considers whether current rules and incentives put patients' health at greater risk, the effect of the expansion of disease categories, the industry's justification of high U.S. prices, and the underlying shifts in the burden of risk borne by individuals in the world of pharmaceuticals. Chapters cover risks of statins for high cholesterol, SSRI drugs for depression and anxiety, and hormone replacement therapy for menopause. A final chapter outlines six changes to make drugs safer and more effective. Suitable for courses on health and aging, gender, disability, and minority studies, this book identifies the Risk Proliferation Syndrome that maximizes the number of people exposed to these risks. Additional Columbia / SSRC books on the privatization of risk and its implications for Americans: Bailouts: Public Money, Private ProfitEdited by Robert E. Wright Disaster and the Politics of InterventionEdited by Andrew Lakoff Health at Risk: America's Ailing Health System-and How to Heal ItEdited by Jacob S. Hacker Laid Off, Laid Low: Political and Economic Consequences of Employment InsecurityEdited by Katherine S. Newman Pensions, Social Security, and the Privatization of RiskEdited by Mitchell A. Orenstein

Health Literacy

Health Literacy

Author: Institute of Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2004-06-29

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 0309133319

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To maintain their own health and the health of their families and communities, consumers rely heavily on the health information that is available to them. This information is at the core of the partnerships that patients and their families forge with today's complex modern health systems. This information may be provided in a variety of forms â€" ranging from a discussion between a patient and a health care provider to a health promotion advertisement, a consent form, or one of many other forms of health communication common in our society. Yet millions of Americans cannot understand or act upon this information. To address this problem, the field of health literacy brings together research and practice from diverse fields including education, health services, and social and cultural sciences, and the many organizations whose actions can improve or impede health literacy. Health Literacy: Prescription to End Confusion examines the body of knowledge that applies to the field of health literacy, and recommends actions to promote a health literate society. By examining the extent of limited health literacy and the ways to improve it, we can improve the health of individuals and populations.


Book Synopsis Health Literacy by : Institute of Medicine

Download or read book Health Literacy written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-06-29 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To maintain their own health and the health of their families and communities, consumers rely heavily on the health information that is available to them. This information is at the core of the partnerships that patients and their families forge with today's complex modern health systems. This information may be provided in a variety of forms â€" ranging from a discussion between a patient and a health care provider to a health promotion advertisement, a consent form, or one of many other forms of health communication common in our society. Yet millions of Americans cannot understand or act upon this information. To address this problem, the field of health literacy brings together research and practice from diverse fields including education, health services, and social and cultural sciences, and the many organizations whose actions can improve or impede health literacy. Health Literacy: Prescription to End Confusion examines the body of knowledge that applies to the field of health literacy, and recommends actions to promote a health literate society. By examining the extent of limited health literacy and the ways to improve it, we can improve the health of individuals and populations.

Prescribed

Prescribed

Author: Jeremy A. Greene

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2012-05-14

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 1421405067

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The first authoritative look at the history of the prescription itself, Prescribed is a groundbreaking book that subtly explores the politics of therapeutic authority and the relations between knowledge and practice in modern medicine.


Book Synopsis Prescribed by : Jeremy A. Greene

Download or read book Prescribed written by Jeremy A. Greene and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2012-05-14 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first authoritative look at the history of the prescription itself, Prescribed is a groundbreaking book that subtly explores the politics of therapeutic authority and the relations between knowledge and practice in modern medicine.

A Prescription for Change

A Prescription for Change

Author: Michael Kinch

Publisher: UNC Press Books

Published: 2016-10-07

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 146963063X

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The introduction of new medicines has dramatically improved the quantity and quality of individual and public health while contributing trillions of dollars to the global economy. In spite of these past successes--and indeed because of them--our ability to deliver new medicines may be quickly coming to an end. Moving from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, A Prescription for Change reveals how changing business strategies combined with scientific hubris have altered the way new medicines are discovered, with dire implications for both health and the economy. To explain how we have arrived at this pivotal moment, Michael Kinch recounts the history of pharmaceutical and biotechnological advances in the twentieth century. Kinch relates stories of the individuals and organizations that built the modern infrastructure that supports the development of innovative new medicines. He shows that an accelerating cycle of acquisition and downsizing is cannibalizing that infrastructure Kinch demonstrates the dismantling of the pharmaceutical and biotechnological research and development enterprises could also provide opportunities to innovate new models that sustain and expand the introduction of newer and better breakthrough medicines in the years to come.


Book Synopsis A Prescription for Change by : Michael Kinch

Download or read book A Prescription for Change written by Michael Kinch and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2016-10-07 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The introduction of new medicines has dramatically improved the quantity and quality of individual and public health while contributing trillions of dollars to the global economy. In spite of these past successes--and indeed because of them--our ability to deliver new medicines may be quickly coming to an end. Moving from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, A Prescription for Change reveals how changing business strategies combined with scientific hubris have altered the way new medicines are discovered, with dire implications for both health and the economy. To explain how we have arrived at this pivotal moment, Michael Kinch recounts the history of pharmaceutical and biotechnological advances in the twentieth century. Kinch relates stories of the individuals and organizations that built the modern infrastructure that supports the development of innovative new medicines. He shows that an accelerating cycle of acquisition and downsizing is cannibalizing that infrastructure Kinch demonstrates the dismantling of the pharmaceutical and biotechnological research and development enterprises could also provide opportunities to innovate new models that sustain and expand the introduction of newer and better breakthrough medicines in the years to come.

Prescribing by Numbers

Prescribing by Numbers

Author: Jeremy A. Greene

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2007-02-15

Total Pages: 337

ISBN-13: 0801884772

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Physician-historian Jeremy A. Greene examines the mechanisms by which drugs and chronic disease categories define one another within medical research, clinical practice, and pharmaceutical marketing, and he explores how this interaction has profoundly altered the experience, politics, ethics, and economy of health in late-twentieth-century America.


Book Synopsis Prescribing by Numbers by : Jeremy A. Greene

Download or read book Prescribing by Numbers written by Jeremy A. Greene and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2007-02-15 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Physician-historian Jeremy A. Greene examines the mechanisms by which drugs and chronic disease categories define one another within medical research, clinical practice, and pharmaceutical marketing, and he explores how this interaction has profoundly altered the experience, politics, ethics, and economy of health in late-twentieth-century America.

Prescribing Mental Health Medication

Prescribing Mental Health Medication

Author: Christopher M. Doran

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2005-07-26

Total Pages: 455

ISBN-13: 1134459580

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Prescribing Mental Health Medication is a text for nursing and medical practitioners who are learning how to diagnose and treat mental disorders with medication. Skills-based, it focuses on the following key issues: how to start and stop medication how to dose when to change medication dealing with particular kinds of patients specific illnesses and their medication special populations and conditions the management of side effects practical issues such as monitoring medication with blood levels administrative issues such as record-keeping. Special icons used throughout the text highlight clinical tips, advice on how to talk to patients and differences in practice in primary care settings. Based on the author's considerable experience of training nursing and medical staff, Prescribing Mental Health Medication presents complex topics in an organized, logical and easily assimilated format. It provides a supportive text for those new to prescribing and a comprehensive source of reference for more experienced practitioners or teachers.


Book Synopsis Prescribing Mental Health Medication by : Christopher M. Doran

Download or read book Prescribing Mental Health Medication written by Christopher M. Doran and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-07-26 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prescribing Mental Health Medication is a text for nursing and medical practitioners who are learning how to diagnose and treat mental disorders with medication. Skills-based, it focuses on the following key issues: how to start and stop medication how to dose when to change medication dealing with particular kinds of patients specific illnesses and their medication special populations and conditions the management of side effects practical issues such as monitoring medication with blood levels administrative issues such as record-keeping. Special icons used throughout the text highlight clinical tips, advice on how to talk to patients and differences in practice in primary care settings. Based on the author's considerable experience of training nursing and medical staff, Prescribing Mental Health Medication presents complex topics in an organized, logical and easily assimilated format. It provides a supportive text for those new to prescribing and a comprehensive source of reference for more experienced practitioners or teachers.

Making Medicines Affordable

Making Medicines Affordable

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2018-03-01

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 0309468086

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Thanks to remarkable advances in modern health care attributable to science, engineering, and medicine, it is now possible to cure or manage illnesses that were long deemed untreatable. At the same time, however, the United States is facing the vexing challenge of a seemingly uncontrolled rise in the cost of health care. Total medical expenditures are rapidly approaching 20 percent of the gross domestic product and are crowding out other priorities of national importance. The use of increasingly expensive prescription drugs is a significant part of this problem, making the cost of biopharmaceuticals a serious national concern with broad political implications. Especially with the highly visible and very large price increases for prescription drugs that have occurred in recent years, finding a way to make prescription medicinesâ€"and health care at largeâ€"more affordable for everyone has become a socioeconomic imperative. Affordability is a complex function of factors, including not just the prices of the drugs themselves, but also the details of an individual's insurance coverage and the number of medical conditions that an individual or family confronts. Therefore, any solution to the affordability issue will require considering all of these factors together. The current high and increasing costs of prescription drugsâ€"coupled with the broader trends in overall health care costsâ€"is unsustainable to society as a whole. Making Medicines Affordable examines patient access to affordable and effective therapies, with emphasis on drug pricing, inflation in the cost of drugs, and insurance design. This report explores structural and policy factors influencing drug pricing, drug access programs, the emerging role of comparative effectiveness assessments in payment policies, changing finances of medical practice with regard to drug costs and reimbursement, and measures to prevent drug shortages and foster continued innovation in drug development. It makes recommendations for policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.


Book Synopsis Making Medicines Affordable by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Making Medicines Affordable written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2018-03-01 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thanks to remarkable advances in modern health care attributable to science, engineering, and medicine, it is now possible to cure or manage illnesses that were long deemed untreatable. At the same time, however, the United States is facing the vexing challenge of a seemingly uncontrolled rise in the cost of health care. Total medical expenditures are rapidly approaching 20 percent of the gross domestic product and are crowding out other priorities of national importance. The use of increasingly expensive prescription drugs is a significant part of this problem, making the cost of biopharmaceuticals a serious national concern with broad political implications. Especially with the highly visible and very large price increases for prescription drugs that have occurred in recent years, finding a way to make prescription medicinesâ€"and health care at largeâ€"more affordable for everyone has become a socioeconomic imperative. Affordability is a complex function of factors, including not just the prices of the drugs themselves, but also the details of an individual's insurance coverage and the number of medical conditions that an individual or family confronts. Therefore, any solution to the affordability issue will require considering all of these factors together. The current high and increasing costs of prescription drugsâ€"coupled with the broader trends in overall health care costsâ€"is unsustainable to society as a whole. Making Medicines Affordable examines patient access to affordable and effective therapies, with emphasis on drug pricing, inflation in the cost of drugs, and insurance design. This report explores structural and policy factors influencing drug pricing, drug access programs, the emerging role of comparative effectiveness assessments in payment policies, changing finances of medical practice with regard to drug costs and reimbursement, and measures to prevent drug shortages and foster continued innovation in drug development. It makes recommendations for policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.