Public Health Administration: Principles for Population-Based Management, 2nd Edition

ISBN: 9780763738426
ISBN-10: 0763738425
Copyright: 2008
Edition: 2nd
Editors: Novick, Lloyd F., Morrow, Cynthia B., Mays, Glen P.,
Doody's Expert Review    Score: 94
Reviewer: Richard  Sewell,  MPH  (University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health)
Description
This book provides an excellent conceptual framework for contemporary public health practice while contributing to a broad understanding, for managers and leaders, of the public health enterprise. A historical context and a flow of logic are presented using the language of current public health reforms. This updates the first edition published in 2001.
Purpose
The editors allow the author of the foreword, Dr. Edward Baker, to express the book's purpose as the provision of tools so that "administration" can be used to translate effective leadership into effective action. This worthy objective is largely met. The tools, however, are presented at a conceptual level and methods and steps are occasionally omitted.
Audience
It is intended for public health leaders and managers, which is an appropriate audience. The contributors are credible authorities on the various public health topics presented.
Features
The second edition offers a population health context for critical topics facing the public health system and public health departments. The best presentations, by topic, are public health definitions and their historical context, workforce, human resources, constituency building, performance management, marketing in public health, and disaster preparedness. The authors of the chapter on defining public health offer a clear progression of public health events and reforms that have shaped the current definition. The workforce chapter is critical reading in understanding the challenges facing the industry. The chapter on public health marketing is fundamental to the development of strategies that overcome systemic public health system problems in changing health behaviors. Throughout the book, tables, figures, and exhibits complement the themes, although some of the longer tables could have been moved to an appendix. In the presentations on the delivery of personal health services in the public health system, insufficient attention is paid to the role of management using an epidemiological framework. The book is contemporary in its treatment of post-reform public health system characteristics, but fails to outline attempts to improve the health of populations through unique approaches to measurement and program design for personal health services. The parallels between closed system managed care systems and public health could have enlightened this discussion. The treatment of assessment and strategic planning in public health failed to adequately distinguish between assessment and planning. The methods component of this chapter is inadequate in guiding readers through the pre-planning phase. Health indicators tended to be limited to health status with inadequate mention of health services measures.
Assessment
This second edition is essential reading for public health managers and leaders. For public health students and practitioners, it is superior to Management Principles for Health Professionals, 5th edition, Liebler et al. (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2008), due to its rich public health content. It is also superior to Essentials of Public Health Management, 2nd edition, Fallon et al. (Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2009), since there is a greater emphasis on the public health system and not just public health departments. The new developments since the previous edition outlined in the book's foreword justify this second edition.
Review Questionnaire
Range Question Score
1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 8
1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 8
1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5
1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 5
1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 5
1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5
1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? 5
1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. 5
1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. 4
1-5 Are there sufficient references? 5
1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 5
1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 5
1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 4
1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book 5
1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 10
1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? 10