Regulating Healthcare

Healthcare organizations in the UK and the USA face a growing tide of regulation, accreditation, inspection and external review, all aimed at improving their performance. In the US, over three decades of regulation by state and federal government, and by non-governmental agencies, has created a complex, costly and overlapping network of oversight arrangements for healthcare organizations. In the UK, regulation of the government-run National Health Service is central to current health policy, with the creation of a host of new national agencies and inspectorates tasked with overseeing the performance of NHS hospitals and other organizations.

But does regulation work? This book:

. explores the development and use of healthcare regulation in both countries, comparing and contrasting their experience and drawing on regulatory research in other industries and settings
. offers a structured approach to analysing what regulators do and how they work
. develops principles for effective regulation, aimed at maximising the benefits of regulatory interventions and minimising their costs

Regulating Healthcare is aimed at all with an interest or involvement in health policy and management, be they policy makers, healthcare managers or health professionals. It is particularly suitable for use on postgraduate health and health-related programmes.