Overview

"Technological innovations and new drugs have led to an explosion in the costs of medical care, and also to the realization among both medical and allied practitioners and patients that such innovation has not necessarily led to more effective care. A gap exists between theory and real-life practice - one that this book attempts to bridge. Thought-provoking essays by an array of distinguished contributors, based on contemporary research and wide-ranging experience in clinical practice, show how we can and must go beyond pure technology in order to improve clinical care. Cultural and social factors on the part of the patients; the practitioner's own personality and other soft factorsA""; society trends such as increased migration; communication skills; techniques ranging from mindfulness, cognitive psychology, and narrative medicine, to humor. All these and other human factors that medical professionals and those in training (physicians, nurses, counselors, and others) need to integrate into practice to provide effective and cost-effective care are explored and illuminated here by leading experts from a variety of disciplines."

Full Product Details

9780889374232

Table of Contents

Reviews

[...] human factors, intended to enhance the clinical experience of both the patient and the practitioner, are the subject of [this] an intriguing compendium of 16 essays prepared by an international panel of 26 clinicians and researchers that speak to the art, as well as the science, of contemporary health care practice. [...] The relatively low level of scientific complexity to the essays, which are nevertheless scholarly and replete with recent references, makes the material accessible to individuals with a range of backgrounds and education levels, including pre-medical students and trainees in health psychology. Abraham Feingold, Licensed Psychologist in Psychology, Health & Medicine,, Vol. 17 (2012) An outstanding contribution to the literature in the field. Health care practitioners have been waiting for a book which explores the psychology and human factors in their sector. A must buy for anybody working or consulting in the field of health care. Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University, UK. The clue to the excellence and uniqueness of this book lies in the title. Health care is indeed both art and science yet few are expert in both parts and rarely are the two themes brought together in one place. Gordon Claridge, MA, PhD, DSc, Emeritus Professor of Abnormal Psychology, University of Oxford, UK; Emeritus Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, UK; and Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Kirkcaldy has put together a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural guide to health care that is both cutting edge and groundbreaking in both its breadth and depth. Robert Levine, PhD, California State University, Fresno, CA

Author Information

Bruce Kirkcaldy is Director of the International Center for Study of Occupational and Mental Health in Dusseldorf, Germany, a Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and runs his own practice specializing in anxiety and depressive disorders and psychosomatic ailments. His research interests are directed primarily towards clinical and health issues, as well as organizational and leisure psychology. He has published extensively in professional and scientific journals with over 200 articles and several edited books to his name.

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