Review by Choice Review
Is using economic market theory the most effective and efficient approach for providing health care services to the American public? The authors, both outstanding international scholars at the Hastings Center, focus on assessing the influence of market mechanisms on health delivery systems in developed and developing countries around the world. They effectively use the American market debate as a comparative perspective to evaluate health care market models and arguments in other countries. The authors assess for economic and medical effectiveness the struggle related to the role of market forces versus government organizations in the delivery of medical care. They particularly compare international market approaches that use market forces for commercial ends versus market mechanisms as a managerial tool. They highlight and evaluate for results the values of equity and choice in a medical care system. Clearly the US medical care system is in crisis. Although people in the US have much to learn from their own experiences, the authors demonstrate that they can also learn much from the experiences of others. This well-researched, readable book is a very valuable and important contribution to the dialogue on future directions for the health care system. Excellent notes section. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. R. L. Jones emeritus, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
