Economics for Healthcare Managers / Edition 2

by Robert H. Lee

Overview

Healthcare managers confront many difficult and complex questions. Economics for Healthcare Managers provides the economic tools managers need to simplify and improve decision making. This book provides a framework for understanding pricing, regulation, costs, market demand, profitability, and risk-issues that all healthcare managers face. Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition features: # A new chapter on creating and interpreting forecasts # A new chapter on government intervention in healthcare markets # Case studies and examples that illustrate how to analyze management problems and make recommendations # Key concepts, discussion questions, and a glossary for each chapter Written in a straightforward and practical style, this book is ideal for readers with no background in economics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781567933147
Publisher:	Health Administration Press
Publication date:	06/30/2009
Edition description:	AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HEALTHCARE EXEC
Pages:	307
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.90(d)

Editorial Reviews

The book is an engaging primer on healthcare economics for the midlevel manager. It provides an excellent review of the key economic concepts and their impact on decision making in the healthcare setting. The purpose is to help managers understand goal oriented decision making and provide a framework for understanding key economic concepts and how they relate to strategic and operational decision making These are worthy objectives for the healthcare manager who needs to understand the economic framework for understanding a rational decision making process. The author meets these objectives. In my judgment, the book appears to be written for the practicing healthcare manager who has a technical background and needs to understand fundamental economic concepts and their application in the healthcare sector. I was unable to discern the author's expertise, but the text is well written and focused on the needs of a busy manager. The book provides a brief overview of the economic concepts including costs, supply and demand, elasticity, and pricing, but also includes several chapters on the relationship between national economies and healthcare costs. The book includes several practical examples on applying the economic concepts to everyday decision making in the healthcare setting. There is a very useful glossary of terms and a thorough index that will make this book a ready reference. The use of highlighted text to provide examples of situations in a healthcare setting is very helpful in assisting the reader in applying the concepts. This book is engaging and highly readable. A healthcare manager with a technical background and limited business training would be well served to invest two tothree hours to gain a thorough overview of how economic concepts can be applied to decision making situations. It serves as a primer for most healthcare managers and also would be useful as a reference for educating boards and community members who may have limited backgrounds in the economics of healthcare. I would highly recommend this as a ready bookshelf reference.

Dale W. Davenport

Reviewer:Dale W. Davenport, BS, MHSA (Creighton University Medical Center)
Description:The book is an engaging primer on healthcare economics for the midlevel manager. It provides an excellent review of the key economic concepts and their impact on decision making in the healthcare setting.
Purpose:The purpose is to help managers understand goal oriented decision making and provide a framework for understanding key economic concepts and how they relate to strategic and operational decision making These are worthy objectives for the healthcare manager who needs to understand the economic framework for understanding a rational decision making process. The author meets these objectives.
Audience:In my judgment, the book appears to be written for the practicing healthcare manager who has a technical background and needs to understand fundamental economic concepts and their application in the healthcare sector. I was unable to discern the author's expertise, but the text is well written and focused on the needs of a busy manager.
Features:The book provides a brief overview of the economic concepts including costs, supply and demand, elasticity, and pricing, but also includes several chapters on the relationship between national economies and healthcare costs. The book includes several practical examples on applying the economic concepts to everyday decision making in the healthcare setting. There is a very useful glossary of terms and a thorough index that will make this book a ready reference. The use of highlighted text to provide examples of situations in a healthcare setting is very helpful in assisting the reader inapplying the concepts.
Assessment:This book is engaging and highly readable. A healthcare manager with a technical background and limited business training would be well served to invest two to three hours to gain a thorough overview of how economic concepts can be applied to decision making situations. It serves as a primer for most healthcare managers and also would be useful as a reference for educating boards and community members who may have limited backgrounds in the economics of healthcare. I would highly recommend this as a ready bookshelf reference.

Explains basic economic concepts that can simplify and improve management decisions that healthcare managers need to make. Shows how economics relates to numerous healthcare concerns, offering specific examples and cases that illustrate how economics provides a framework for understanding costs, market demand, competition, and profitability. Other topics include elasticities, supply and demand analysis, and strategic behavior. Includes a glossary. Assumes no background in economics. Lee is affiliated with the department of health policy and management at the School of Medicine of the University of Kansas. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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