Misunderstanding Health

This eminently relevant and thoroughly entertaining book reminds us that understanding more about health care helps us understand the larger world around us.

With technological advances and information sharing so prevalent, health care should be more transparent and easier to access than ever before. So why does it seem like everything about it-from pricing, drug development, and the emergence of new diseases to the intricacies of biologic and precision medicine therapies-is becoming more complex, not less?

Rohit Khanna's Misunderstanding Health examines some of today's most revealing health care trends while imploring us to look at these issues with alacrity, humor, and vigilance. Over the course of eighteen short, engaging chapters, Khanna explains

how unexamined beliefs can endanger patients, drive cost, and increase bureaucracy
the "Dr. Google" effect on the ways that we seek (or eschew) care
why our health care costs more than in any other country
the unintended consequences of using rating sites like Yelp
what we can learn about health care from hurricanes
how social media influencers impact health care
how artificial intelligence can improve health care
why health screening programs are so complicated
what the industry is doing to combat health care fraud
what the big deal about legalizing medical cannabis is
how to think about behavioral "nudges" designed to improve health
why understanding how data are collected is critical to understanding what they can tell us
and much more

Each provocative and easy-to-read chapter covers a familiar aspect of health care in a clear and succinct way. Offering inquisitive readers a warts-and-all view of American health care, Misunderstanding Health is the book that you'll want to read if you know enough to be frustrated by the system but want a deeper dive into its challenges and opportunities.