​​​​This book looks at health policy through the lens of public versus private: population health versus the somatic, social, or emotional experiences of a patient. Rather than presenting policy/ethics as overly technical, this book takes a novel approach of framing public and private health in terms of political philosophy, ethics, and popular examples. Each chapter ties back to the general ethics or political literature as applicable, which are not customarily parts of the current public health curriculum. The author's work on the Orgcomplexity blog has touched on this subject by systemically exploring public policy issues, and the tone of this book mimics the blog with an extension of the arguments.

Ethical issues associated with public health and health policy--related, for example, to pandemic plans and vaccination policies (c.f. SARS or pandemic influenza), preventive measures like screening (e.g. for breast cancer or dementia) or health information campaigns, social inequalities or health care rationing--are increasing in worldwide importance. Evidence-based information for valid benefit-harm assessment is often rare and hard to get for participants in public health interventions. Program implementation often disregards requirements of fair decision-making processes (like public participation, transparency, etc.). Originating from an international conference (based on a call for abstracts and external review), this volume contains contributions from a group of experts from multiple disciplines and countries. It covers (i) conceptual foundations of public health ethics, (ii) methodological approaches and (iii) normative analyses of specific issues and cases. Bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications, this volume provides a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners and students concerned with public health practice and policy.

How can systems-thinking contribute to solving key challenges in Global Health? Global Health is an evolving field operating within a complex interaction of political, environmental, economic, and socio-cultural factors. Any work on the subject needs to reflect current developments and be supported by a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that retains a focus on the underpinning determinants of health. This book reflects the importance of applying a systems-thinking approach to Global Health challenges: one that examines both the individual elements within the system as well as the interrelationships between them and wider contextual patterns. Bringing together a global and multidisciplinary team of experts, this volume outlines the core concepts of a systems-thinking approach and how they can be applied to current Global Health problems. It provides a comprehensive range of case studies, reflections, conceptual pieces, and methodological approaches. Readers are invited to engage with arguments and assumptions across global health interventions and to connect systems-thinking theory with lived experiences. Well-established topics such as infectious and non-communicable diseases, as well as lesser-discussed areas such as still birth, mental health, and war and conflict are united under a shared systems-thinking framework. Offering innovative perspectives on current health challenges, students, academics, practitioners, and policy makers will find this a significant resource to enhance their understanding and application of systems-thinking in Global Health.

Patient safety in health systems has become more and more important as a theme in health research, and so it is not surprising to see a growing interest in applying systems thinking to healthcare. However there is a difficulty - health systems are very complex and constantly adapting to respond to core drivers and fit needs. How do you apply systems thinking in this situation, and what methods are available? National health authorities, international donors and research practitioners need to know the "how-to" of conducting health systems research from a systems thinking perspective. This book will fill this gap and provide a range of tools that give clear guidance of ways to carry out systems thinking in health, with real-world examples. These methodologies include: - System dynamics and causal loops - Network analysis - Outcome mapping - Soft systems methodology And many more. Written by an international team of experts in health research, this handbook will be essential reading for those working in or researching public health, health policy, health systems, global health, service improvement and innovation in practice.. "For those working in the health sector, the relevance and value of systems thinking as a concept is evident. However, operationalization of this concept has been a challenge. With this new book, health researchers have a detailed guide for applying system thinking tools in day-to-day operations to identify and solve issues related to health policy and systems." Ghaffar Abdul, Executive Director of the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, Switzerland "This book is the first to present practical options for applying systems thinking to understand complexity in health systems. The editors compile an essential collection of practical tools for understanding complex problems and framing research questions, as well as for determining and managing related solutions. Each tool is presented through an accessible summary of the method and the theory upon which it is based, as well as a real-world example. It will be a valuable resource for teaching and practice." Ligia Paina, PhD, Assistant Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, USA "This keenly-awaited book offers a lucid and comprehensive discussion on how to research complex health systems. Health systems are facing a rapid change and increased complexity, with well-designed solutions often leading to unintended consequences. The book provides invaluable help in navigating this complexity and applying rigorous as well as pragmatic approaches to capturing dynamic interactions between system elements and causal loops. The authors op

Patient safety in health systems has become more and more important as a theme in health research, and so it is not surprising to see a growing interest in applying systems thinking to healthcare. However there is a difficulty – health systems are very complex and constantly adapting to respond to core drivers and fit needs. How do you apply systems thinking in this situation, and what methods are available? National health authorities, international donors and research practitioners need to know the “how-to” of conducting health systems research from a systems thinking perspective. This book will fill this gap and provide a range of tools that give clear guidance of ways to carry out systems thinking in health. These methodologies include: System dynamics and causal loops Network analysis Outcome mapping Soft systems methodology Written by an international team of experts in health research, this handbook will be essential reading for those working in or researching public health, health policy, health systems, global health, service improvement and innovation in practice.

This book takes bioethics and health policy to a new level of integration. Moving beyond principles and normative frameworks, bioethicsists writing in the volume consider the actual policy problems faced by health care systems, while policy-makers reflect on the moral values inherent in both the process and content of health policy. Together, they explore the goals and processes involved in developing health policy and examine the roles of various stakeholders as well as the thorny ethical issues that arise.

This book is a primer focusing on systems thinking as it spans the domains of health administration, public health, and clinical practice. Currently, the accrediting commissions within public health, health administration, and nursing are including systems thinking as part of the core competencies in their respective fields and professions. Meanwhile, academic programs do not have the materials, other than journal articles, to give students the requisite understanding of systems thinking as is expected of the next generation of health professionals. This primer is designed to meet that void and serve as a supplemental reading for this important and timely topic. This is the only book of its kind that provides a broad introduction and demonstration of the application of health systems thinking.