Decision Making in Health Care: Theory, Psychology, and Applications (Cambridge Series on Judgment and Decision Making)

Conveying advanced content in a manner that is appealing to the reader while remaining academically rigorous is a challenge that few have mastered. Gensler's "Introduction to Logic" is a great example of this kind of achievement.Unfortunately, this book does not pass the same test. It is a great treatment of the topic, but certainly doesn't fit the definition of "interesting," "engaging," or "a real page-turner."If you aren't very interested in medical decision making as a field of study, you should find something that is more accessible.

(Summary from the book jacket) Decision making is a crucial element in the field of medicine. The physician has to determine what is wrong with the patient and recommend treatment, while the patient has to decide whether or not to seek medical care and whether to go along with the treatment recommended by the physician. Health policy makers and health insurers have to decide what to promote, what to discourage, and what to pay for. Together, these decisions determine the quality of health care that is provided. "Decision Making in Health Care" is an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of the field of medical decision making - a rapidly expanding field that includes quantitative theoretical tools for modeling decisions, psychological research on how decisions are actually made, and applied research on how physicians and patient decision making can be improved.List of Chapter Titles and AuthorsINTRODUCTION AND THEORY1. Introduction Gretchen B. Chapman, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Frank Sonnenberg, M.D., UMDNJ-RWJMS,2. Decision modeling techniques Mark S. Roberts, MD, MPP, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Frank Sonnenberg, MD, UMDNJ-RWJMS3. Utility assessment under expected utility and rank dependent utility assumptions John Miyamoto, PhD, University of Washington4. Evidence-based medicine John P.A. Ioannidis MD, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Joseph Lau. MD, New England Medical CenterHEALTH POLICY AND ECONOMICS5. Linking health policy modeling with health policy formation and implementation David B. Matchar, MD and Greg P. Samsa, PhD, Duke University6. Cost-effectiveness analysis Louise B. Russell, PhD, Rutgers UniversityPSYCHOLOGY OF MEDICAL DECISION MAKING7. Cognitive processes and biases in medical decision making Gretchen B. Chapman, PhD, Rutgers University Arthur S. Elstein, PhD, University of Illinois of Chicago8. Physician judgments of uncertainty Neal V. Dawson, MD, Case Western Reserve University9. Bioethics and medical decision making: What can they learn from each other? Joshua Cohen, PhD, Department of Veterans Affairs, Philadelphia Medical Center David Asch, MD, University of Pennsylvania Peter Ubel, MD, University of Pennsylvania10. Team medical decision making Caryn Christensen, PhD & Ann S. Abbott, University of HartfordAPPLICATIONS11. Assessing patients' preferences Anne M. Stiggelbout, PhD, Leiden University12. Applying utility assessment at the "bedside" Mary K. Goldstein, MD, Palo Alto Health Care System Joel Tsevat, MD, University of Cincinnati Medical Center13. Advances in Presenting Health Information to Patients Holly Brügge Jimison, PhD & Paul Phillip Sher, MD, Oregon Health Sciences University14. Computer-assisted clinical decision support Antoine Geissbuhler, MD & Randolph A. Miller, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center15. Opportunities for applying psychological theory to improve medical decision making: Two case histories. Robert M. Hamm, PhD, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Dewey C. Scheid, MD, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Wally R. Smith, MD, Medical College of Virginia Thomas G. Tape, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center