Policy Innovation for Health / Edition 1

by Ilona Kickbusch

Overview

The facts are hard to ignore: rising rates of chronic disease, epidemic obesity and diabetes, a widening longevity gap between rich and poor, health care “reforms” at odds with patient interests. In response, Policy Innovations for Health argues that a nation’s well-being mirrors the health of its citizens—and calls not only for improvement in our health care systems but for a complete reconceptualization of health and social policy, starting with expanded, interrelated roles for health care providers, consumers, and policymakers.

The long-term strategies outlined in this book emphasize a stronger balance between public and individual health goals, and collaborations between cost-efficient, streamlined medical care and innovative therapeutic research and technology—values that have been traditionally been considered in conflict. Examples are included of new care models and groundbreaking programs from Canada, the EU, and Australia that bring together the community, consumer, governmental, and corporate sectors; bridge the gaps between prevention, health promotion, and practice; and improve core health determinants such as living conditions, education, and social supports. These social, political, medical, and technological advances, assert the authors, are crucial to meeting the challenges of the decades ahead.

Among the topics covered:

• Health as a central economic and societal force.

• New directions in the monitoring of health and well-being.

• “Integrating Health in all Policies” programs and how they can be implemented.

• The democratization of health knowledge and the expanding role of patient participation.

• Closing the financial divide in public health priority-setting.

Policy Innovations for Health adds important new voices to the health care debate, and its vision will inspire professionals in health policy, health administration, health economics, and global health, as well as graduate students planning to enter these rapidly changing fields.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441927309
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	10/29/2010
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2009
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Ilona Kickbusch is known throughout the world for her contributions to innovation in public health, health promotion and global health.

She has had a distinguished career with the World Health Organization and Yale University. She is a sought after speaker and advisor on policies and strategies to promote health at the national and international level.

She now works as an independent global health consultant based in Brienz, Switzerland.

Table of Contents

Policy Innovations for Health.- Intelligence for Health Governance: Innovation in the Monitoring of Health and Well-Being.- Financing for Health in All Policies.- Health as a Driving Economic Force.- Integrating Health in All Policies at the Local Level: Using Network Governance to Create ‘Virtual Reorganization by Design’.- Knowledge-Centered Health Innovation: The Case for Citizen Health Information Systems.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"This unique book focuses on an exploration and map of policy innovations. … The book would be useful to anyone wanting to look at policy from a different perspective. It is so radically different that health policy students would benefit … . Doctoral students with a policy minor would benefit." (Carole A. Kenner, Doody’s Review Services, January, 2009)

"This book is the result of a two-year conversation between the six authors during the period 2006-2008. … The authors provide many examples and case studies for new policy approaches from different parts of Europe and at different levels of governance. The book will be of interest to graduate students and professionals in health policy, health administration, and health economics." (SciTech Book News, March, 2009)

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Carole A. Kenner, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP, ANEF (The College of New Jersey)
Description: This unique book focuses on an exploration and map of policy innovations. The focus is on a lively discussion among key world leaders to shift policy from "health" to "for health" — meaning application of policy to promote health.
Purpose: The purpose is to engage readers in learning policy through conversation and knowledge transfer. The focus is on innovations such as a health society, social or societal networks for the purpose of health promotion, monitoring health outcomes through intelligent health governance, and knowledge-centered health. These worthy objectives are met somewhat.
Audience: The book would be useful to anyone wanting to look at policy from a different perspective. It is so radically different that health policy students would benefit, but graduate nursing students without a solid policy background might be lost. Doctoral students with a policy minor would benefit.
Features: The book presents short topics with boxed definitions and illustrations to highlight key points. Case scenarios and real life conversations punctuate the otherwise dry material. The content ranges from the need for a shift in policy to health, health promotion, to global trends in health policy, especially emphasizing the European Union. Financing of health is discussed within the context of innovations. Health is also portrayed as an economic driver. The last sections describe partnerships using the think globally, act locally examples, followed by citizen health information systems. One of the main shortcomings is that the Institute of Medicine's emphasis on quality and patient safety that is influencing health and policy at a global level is missing, as is information on the global workforce shortage of health professionals that is influencing health outcomes and begs for innovation in meeting societal needs.
Assessment: There are many books on health policy, but none take the route of this book — policy innovation through knowledge transfer. It presents an interesting, but at times hard to follow, perspective.

Doody's Review Service