An Introduction to Health Policy

With a strong comparative and international element, this engaging book analyzes the process, implementation, and outcomes of health policy in Canada. The author critically compares Canadian health policy to other systems such as the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Cuba. Case studies include the capacity of various health systems to respond to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005. Of interest to a variety of disciplines including nursing, social work, health sciences, medical, and healthy policy, it is written for those who are studying or working in the health sector.

The primary goals of this book are:

to examine how public policy - including health policy - is developed and implemented, by providing examples of current health policy issues in Canada
to provide various models of the policy-development and implementation process
to use case studies of health policy issues in Canada, the United States, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and policy changes developed to address these issues in order to illustrate key concepts
to outline key themes in health policy and direct attention to the forces that shape health policy in Canada and in other Western nations