Today, as never before, healthcare has the ability to enhance the quality and duration of life. At the same time, healthcare has become so costly that it can easily bankrupt governments and impoverish individuals and families.

Health services research is a highly multidisciplinary field, including such areas as health administration, health economics, medical sociology, medicine, political science, public health, and public policy. The Encyclopedia of Health Services Research is the first single reference source to capture the diversity and complexity of the field. With...

Examining the combined impact of technology and the increasingly competitive market on the delivery and financing of health care, this volume makes a significant contribution to an issue of major importance to the American people. Health care has become a major industry that is changing rapidly and strikingly. This contributor volume focuses on the interplay among technology, the changing environment of health care, and its implications for future technological innovation. Particular focus is placed on the hospital in light of changes in federal funding (Medicare's prospective payment...