World Scientific Publishing Company The Health Care Dilemma: A Comparison of Health Care Systems in Three European Countries and the US

From the Back Cover In an age of spiraling costs, it is no surprise that health care policy and health care systems are now among the most hotly debated and controversial topics in many countries of the world today. The issue is literally one of life-and-death, and affects millions across the globe as they struggle to answer the question of who pays for their health care. This book explores the health care systems of Denmark, Germany and Sweden, and compares them with the system in the United States through 30 first-hand case reports by advanced medical students taking part in an international exchange program. It also describes how these health care systems have developed and how they differ which are essential background reading for anyone making decisions on health care policy in these countries. The aim is to provide a resource for professors and students of public health policy, medicine, nursing, allied health professions, social sciences and other disciplines as they explore the social, political and cultural effects on health care and health care systems. The case studies are also interesting and provide ample food-for-thought for the general readership who are the end-users of health care and who are often able to influence public health policy. Product Description In an age of spiraling costs, it is no surprise that health care policy and health care systems are now among the most hotly debated and controversial topics in many countries of the world today. The issue is literally one of life-and-death, and affects millions across the globe as they struggle to answer the question of who pays for their health care. This book explores the health care systems of Denmark, Germany, and Sweden, and compares them with the system in the United States through 30 first-hand case reports by advanced medical students taking part in an international exchange program. It also describes how these health care systems have developed and how they differ - which are essential background reading for anyone making decisions on health care policy in these countries. The aim is to provide a resource for professors and students of public health policy, medicine, nursing, allied health professions, social sciences and other disciplines as they explore the social, political and cultural effects on health care and health care systems. The case studies are also interesting and provide ample food-for-thought for the general readership who are the end-users of health care and who are often able to influence public health policy. Review In this book we see vividly and first hand the diverse issues confronting patients and health care systems in Western countries. As we all seek solutions to the problems of providing optimal medical care, these patient stories will be a valuable source of information and insight. --Professor Jeffrey S Flier, MD, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Caroline Shields Walker, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolHealth care systems are very diverse, even among resource rich countries. Decision and opinion makers compare these systems mainly from the perspectives of economics and effectiveness parameters. This book is unique in disclosing the perspective of the patients through the eyes of medical students. A completely new and most innovative approach. --Professor Maximilian Reiser, MD, FACR, FRCR, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University School of Medicine, Munich, GermanyHealth care systems are very diverse, even among resource rich countries. Decision and opinion makers compare these systems mainly from the perspectives of economics and effectiveness parameters. This book is unique in disclosing the perspective of the patients through the eyes of medical students. A completely new and most innovative approach. --Professor Maximilian Reiser, MD, FACR, FRCR, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University School of Medicine, Munich, Germany