This book addressed the issues in it by Regina Herzlinger and other contributors seem even more relevant–indeed, more urgent–in current times. How does Herzlinger characterize consumer-driven health care? It is “fundamentally about empowering health care consumers–all of us–with control, choice, and information.” Such control will “reward innovative insurers and providers for creating the higher-quality, lower-cost services we want and deserve.” What would be the role of government? She asserts “government will protect us with financial assistance and oversight, not micromanagement.” The material in this substantial volume is organized within five parts. Herzlinger wrote the first, “Why We Need Consumer-Driven Health Care,” then edited the contributions by others that comprise Parts 2-5. She also wrote Chapter 78, “A Health Care SEC: The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth.” For those who are not healthcare professionals, this volume provides as much information as they could possibly need, much less process. To their credit, Herzlinger and her associate contributors make a conscious effort to avoid jargon, vague theories, oblique hypotheses, etc. They succeed brilliantly when explaining (from a variety of perspectives) why consumer-driven health care is needed, and, how to establish and then sustain it.
This volume offers a total of 81 chapters. Individual readers will find at least 10-15 of special interest to him or her. Moreover, many of those subjects that may seem to be of least interest and value will reward a careful reading. It remains for each reader to review the Contents and then decide what to read and in which sequence.
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