New book proposes engineering approach to US health care reform

The current problems of access, affordability and quality in the US healthcare system won't be solved by providing health insurance to all. The editors of the new book Engineering the System of Healthcare Delivery (ISBN: 978-1-60750-532-7) propose an engineering approach to healthcare. In this publication by IOS Press, editors William B. Rouse and Denis A. Cortese and a team of highly regarded thought leaders in the field explain their vision.

The US healthcare system has many excellent components; strong scientific input, extraordinary technology for diagnosis and treatment, dedicated staff and top-class facilities among them. But the system has evolved haphazardly over time and although it has not failed entirely, the authors argue that like any system where attention is paid to individual components at the expense of the system as a whole, it can never hope to succeed. Above all, they point out that the US system does not provide high value healthcare; it has the highest costs in the world and yet many other countries have lower infant mortality rates and better life expectancy.

Covering a wide range of subjects including: healthcare costs and economics, barriers to change, integrated health systems, electronic records and computer-based patient support as well as patient safety and palliative and chronic care, this book will be of interest to all those involved in healthcare provision whose goal is affordable care to promote healthy, high quality lives.