关注2008：中国改革新起点与大趋势

关注2008：中国改革新起点与大趋势
2008年01月28日 13:59:52 　来源：上海证券报
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　　编者：1月26日，中国（海南）改革发展研究院在北京召开 “2008’改革的起点与趋势”改革形势分析会。会议围绕当前改革形势及行政管理体制改革、宏观调控体制创新、新阶段财税体制改革、社会体制改革、农村综合改革的形势与任务等议题进行了讨论。

全国人大法律委员会副主任洪虎、中国经济体制改革研究会会长高尚全、中央政策研究室副主任郑新立、国家人口和计划生育委员会副主任赵白鸽、国务院发展研究中心副主任卢中原、国家开发银行副行长刘克崮、中国社科院研究员张卓元，以及来自国家发改委、财政部、劳动和社会保障部、农业部等国家相关部委及研究机构、高校的50余位专家学者出席了会议。中国（海南）改革发展研究院执行院长迟福林主持了本次会议。

本报特约两位与会研究者将有关专家的发言及会议综述介绍给大家，以裨读者对中国改革的未来趋势和宏观政策动向作前瞻性思考。

　　一、我国改革已进入一个新的历史时期

我国改革进入新的历史时期。有专家指出，改革开放30年的重大变化，集中表现在我国已实现由生存型社会向发展型社会的历史转变。这个历史性转变的基本背景是由计划经济向市场经济的转轨。就是说，市场化改革实现是我国由生存型向发展型社会转变的主要推动力。

社会矛盾的阶段性变化使改革站在了新的历史起点。我国由生存型社会向发展型社会的历史性过渡，“生存性”压力明显减弱，“发展性”压力全面凸显。主要表现在经济持续快速增长与资源环境约束的矛盾；经济快速增长的巨大潜力同经济增长的体制机制存在缺陷的矛盾；经济总量、物质财富的不断增加与城乡差距、贫富差距扩大的矛盾；全社会公共服务需求全面快速增长与基本公共产品短缺的矛盾；经济发展、社会进步同公共治理滞后的矛盾。

新时期的改革进入十分复杂的利益关系调整阶段，改革面临多方面挑战。新阶段面临的矛盾同利益关系相联系，具有深刻性和复杂性，要坚定不移地推进改革，以全面改革解决经济社会发展进程中深层次的矛盾问题。

有专家说，从财政改革中可以看到，过去30年中每推进一步，涉及的人就越多，覆盖的范围越广。改革推进到今天，几乎所有区域和所有企业都已经覆盖在财政范围之内。随着全覆盖的迈进，近年来又提出基本公共服务均等化的目标。现在看来，这些问题操作起来更具复杂性。

以行政管理体制改革为重点，改革需要在多方面破题。有专家指出，要十分明确我国今年改革的位置在哪里，改革动因是什么，往前走的方向是什么。科学发展观是新时期的一面旗帜。过去30年重点以摆脱贫困作为旗帜，未来要以全面发展作为旗帜。伴随全球化、信息化，我国面临难得的发展机遇，但必须走全面、协调、可持续的发展道路。新阶段的改革就是建立全面落实科学发展观的体制机制。

有专家指出，改革进入新的历史时期，政府与市场、政府与社会的关系面临多方面的挑战。为此，应当以政府行政管理体制改革为重点，在财税、金融、土地、公共服务等多个领域进行实质性的变革。

二、适应阶段性矛盾变化，全面推进改革

以铁路管理体制改革为突破口，加快垄断行业改革。有专家指出，铁路体制改革在整个交通领域改革中明显滞后，相应的铁路建设滞后。从实践看，哪种运输方式率先改革，哪种方式发展就快。改革滞后的背后仍然是垄断，社会资金进不去，制约了发展。

公路改革比较早，短短十多年时间，建立起了高速公路框架体系。火车票一到节假日一票难求，全国卡脖子路段上百个。更好地建设铁路，关键是打破部门垄断，引入社会资金。现在是体制卡住了建设的脖子。可以考虑以铁路管理体制改革作为垄断行业改革的突破口，由此使铁路建设更快一点。

加快建立与科学发展观相适应的公共财政体制。有专家指出，目前通货膨胀率比较高、投资过热的源头在财政。现在财政有钱了，基本公共服务均等化作为目标提出来了，但在支出责任上，至少在各级政府之间是模糊和同构的。关注民生问题把财政体制改革提到更加紧迫的日程上。有专家说，过去我们过分偏重于发挥财政经济杠杆和经济手段作用，对财政促进社会建设、促进人类自身发展重视不够。

有专家认为，财政改革要从层级财政走向辖区财政，建立辖区财政机制。在目前的财政体制下，每一级财政都有自己的财源，在强调层级财政的情况下，各级政府财政都要去找钱，没条件创造条件，环境生态被破坏，经济发展方式转变不了。如果找不来钱，就从其他方面收，越是穷的地方越乱收费。

现在基层财政困难，有些地方生态环境恶化，与层级财政密切相关。建立辖区财政，就是要上级政府对管辖区域财政负有平衡责任，包括纵向平衡和横向平衡的责任。

有专家指出，财政体制改革是一项长期的任务，需要渐进式地推进。目前在某些方面认识分歧比较大。例如，医疗改革，有的认为是缺钱，有的认为必须要有好的机制和制度，才能把钱投进去。具体方案设计，包括财政经费保障机制，也涉及到政府间财政机制的完善。这些在操作上都不是简单的事情，需要以局部突破带动全局性制度框架的重新建立。

有专家指出，要抓紧国有资本预算制度改革。今年宏观调控任务是防止偏快过热，防止物价上涨转为明显的通货膨胀。目前投资资金来源里，银行贷款只占18%到19%。银行贷款收紧对限制投资膨胀有利，但效果不会很大。70%的投资资金来源于企业自筹，最大头还是企业利润。

建立国有资本预算制度，把企业新增利润拿出一部分集中起来投入到社会保障体系建设，可以让全国人民作为全民所有制所有者享受到发展带来的利益。现行体制下，产权结构是公共产权占主导地位。现在对公共产权保护不够，一些人利用公共资源和公共产权在短时间内富起来，公共产权收入流失很严重。

深化和拓展农村综合改革。有的专家指出，按照统筹城乡发展要求，要城乡综合配套改革。第一，户籍制度还是影响城乡一体化很重要的问题，要尽快解决进城农民工的社会保障问题；第二，就业制度。只在保障农民工权益方面做文章还不够，城乡体制改革要加快；第三，综合配套改革还有财政体制，光调整县乡财政体制还不行，要把农村自身改革进行配套。

有专家指出，一定要放活农村生产要素。当前劳动、土地、金融，三方面放活还不够，多予、少取、放活三大政策还有加大力度的余地。有专家指出，去年7月1日全国人大通过农民专业合作社法正式实施，是农村改革具有划时代意义的重要文件。合作社法对产权结构、运营模式都作出了法律规范，区分了现在的专业合作社与改革开放前的合作社。改革前的合作社是大锅饭平均主义为特色，现在是鼓励农民在流通领域和农产品加工领域合作。加入WTO以后，跨国公司都进来了。如果农户不通过合作社组织起来，就没有办法和跨国公司竞争。

加快推进金融体制改革。有专家指出，解决通货膨胀问题，不能总是强调政府干预价格，而要注重货币政策的作用。有专家指出，目前银行体制改革方面，政策银行怎么改应提上日程，还要推出创业版市场、股指期货市场，要把资本市场作为重点来发展直接融资。中央设置银监会、证监会、保监会是适应当时金融体制改革任务发展的需要。新阶段混业经营和监管是大势所趋，这就需要把金融领域四大部门的有效协调提上日程。

有专家举例说，一些地区发展不平衡的重要原因是金融创新滞后。有的有创意但没有钱投资，有的有钱但没有创意。要大力发展农村金融，以小额信贷为重点，大力发展多种所有制的民间金融。

加快土地制度变革的步伐。有专家指出，土地经营权向种田能手集中，才能把一部分青壮年劳动力留在农村，才可以采取机械化生产，把相当一部分劳动力从土地解放出来，转向二、三产业，为农业现代化提供保障。有专家指出， 2007年房价上涨，很大一点是因为政府对土地垄断。一方面是流动性过剩、非常旺盛的需求，另一方面是政府对土地的垄断造成土地供给不足，这样严重供不应求导致房价上涨。

有专家指出，对于土地政府垄断，现在应该叫停。现在土地缺乏规范的产权基础。只有进行第三次土地改革，才能把科学发展观落到实处，变成实践。应在房价涨得高的地方做改革试点。还有专家指出，农村金融之所以难以发展，在很大程度上与土地不能抵押有关，要使农民的土地使用权、房地产所有权证可以抵押担保。
　三、着力实现行政管理体制改革的新突破

行政管理体制改革面临三大压力。有专家指出，与过去历次行政管理体制改革相比，2008年的行政管理体制改革面临的外部环境压力更大。

一是宏观经济的压力。居民消费指数增长幅度过大、过快，物价呈现出由结构性上涨到出现通货膨胀的风险，使得政府的宏观调控面临比较大的压力。

二是公众对政府改革诉求的压力。近几年来，无论是社会，还是公众，都对以政府自身改革为重点的行政管理体制改革有很高的期盼和诉求，这就使这次行政体制改革更具有了不寻常的意义，改革成败影响深远。

三是民主政治发展的压力。党的十七大提出的一系列发展民主政治的重大举措，如强调人民民主是社会主义的生命，强调多层次、多领域地扩大公民的有序政治参与，实行基层群众的自治制度，实行自我管理、自我服务、自我教育、自我监督等，都将对行政体制改革产生深刻影响。

行政管理体制改革的成功需要三个条件。有专家指出，本次行政管理体制改革的成功需要三个条件。

一是要制定出一个好的总体改革方案。如果不能对这些关系政府管理组织架构、规则、程序、运行机制等重要问题做出总体规划，就很难使改革取得突破性进展。

二是大部制改革要能够取得成功。我国政府管理走大部制管理的道路是完全正确的选择。能否统一规划，实行大部制管理的领域、决策、执行、监督权力结构的配置以及政府的运行方式，将直接影响整个行政管理体制改革的成败。

三是在权力的约束和制约方面取得突破。找到一种十分有效的对公共权力的约束和制约机制，克服腐败的孳生、蔓延。

行政管理体制改革要有两个联动。

第一，行政管理体制改革要与财政体制改革联动。过去行政机构改革不到位，很大程度上与组织人事编制体制有关，政府公务支出比例到底是多少，能不能控制。如果工商、质检、城管、交通等都靠收费养自己，这样的行政管理体制改革意义不大。很多行政执法单位虽是事业机构，但却是执法机构。财政体制要和行政体制改革联动，不联动改革不能深化。

第二，人大对政府财政监督要完善，要联动。人大要对国有产权进行监督，要对政府收入进行监管和控制，不能随便发个文件就收钱。把收钱和花钱监管机制建立起来，才能使政府机构压缩精简，才能把机构编制膨胀的恶性循环真正管住。

推进公共领域的投融资体制改革。有专家指出，以民生为重点加快社会建设，取决于社会管理体制改革能不能跟上。与社会管理体制改革最直接相关的是，需要进行公共领域投融资体制改革。

社会事业可以通过政府直接投资举办，也可以通过社会组织举办，政府采取委托协议等形式购买服务，最终提供给公众。对公益性较强的非基础性社会公共服务，除目前必须由政府直接投资举办的项目外，要通过社会投资者公开招标项目法人，通过财政补贴、PPP模式、特许经营、贷款贴息、优惠政策等多种方式支持民间组织或其他社会力量举办。

有专家指出，对公益性较弱和以经营性为主要特征的非基本社会公共服务，要在政府统筹规划、宏观调控下由社会组织、个人或其他力量举办，由市场来调节供求关系，以满足不同人群多样化的需求。为此，应放宽基本社会公共服务的准入限制。凡是国家没有明文限制和禁止的基本社会公共服务领域，都要对社会开放，凡是对社会举办和参与基本公共服务带有歧视性的做法和不合法的规定，都要清理和取消。

四、注重改革的整体设计和组织协调

进行改革总体方案设计非常重要。有专家指出，十七大对改革作了全面部署，方向清楚，目标明确。现在重要的是抓落实，要落实到机构，落实到人。现在财税改革非常重要，包括政府间职责划分和经费保障机制这个问题，要进行总体方案设计。部门利益和地区利益怎么协调，这些问题首先要解决才能顺利推进改革。

有专家指出，现在食品涨价，涨这么高，农民究竟得了多少？当务之急是建立一个更好的社会保障制度，使基本社会保障覆盖全体农民。如果按照目前的制度框架分配，只会扩大差距，不会减少差距。这些都需要很好地设计和考虑。

强化利益协调机制。有专家指出，新阶段的改革和30年前启动改革不一样，那时候是冲破意识形态障碍，现在主要是克服基本利益格局调整的困难。能否顺利地推进改革，关键看社会的参与程度，在改革推进中给老百姓带来实实在在的好处。

现在社会建设很重要的方面是通过制度创新来建立一套能够规范、容纳各种社会矛盾，便于社会利益表达，社会参与的制度框架。基本公共服务均等化等目标提得很好，但如果不解决社会参与问题，到最后也会变形，也许会变成高税负、低福利。

按照公共选择的机制推进改革。有专家指出，现在重要的是建立财政工作的公共化平台，当所有人都在财政覆盖范围之内的时候，就要按照公共的理念，按照公共的规则和机制来运作财政收支领域的事情。如果不是这样的话，就会有很多非规范性收入，就会偏离原来的初衷。

把财政收入运作作为公共事项处理，完善人民代表大会对于政府预算的审查、批准和监督机制，我们才可能找到新阶段财政体制建设的有效途径。

解决吏治问题对改革至关重要。有专家指出，吏治问题在很大程度上影响改革效果。近些年人们反映比较多的城管问题表明，我们的基层吏治需要下大力气改革。还有一个很重要的问题是，现在政府经济社会管理的事务很专业，但是干部任用非专业的现象仍很突出。如何能够让更多有思想、有专业能力的人进入到政府管理决策中来，是新阶段改革需要认真面对的问题。

解放思想和转变观念并重。有专家指出，过去30年改革开放的过程，也是解放思想的过程。30年改革的每一步都是以解放思想为先导，没有解放思想就没有今天。要转变观念，如果不转变观念按照原来思维定势，也会出问题。全面落实科学发展观实际上是一个转变观念的问题。老百姓要转变观念，但首先是领导转变观念。（苗树彬 方栓喜）

如何配置 POP3 电子邮件客户端以发送和接收 Yahoo

我该如何配置 POP3 电子邮件客户端以发送和接收 Yahoo! 电邮邮件？
要使用电子邮件客户端来发送和接收 Yahoo! 电邮邮件，您必须指定一新的邮件接收 (POP) 服务器和一新的邮件发送 (SMTP)服务器。
如果您不能添加新的 POP 或 SMTP 服务器，您必须更改当前的服务器设置。请记下您当前的设置 - 如果您以后决定用其它电子邮件地址来发送和接收邮件，就必须恢复原来的设置。

以下是 Yahoo! 电邮的基本服务器设置：

邮件接收 (POP3) 服务器： pop.mail.yahoo.com
邮件发送 (SMTP) 服务器： smtp.mail.yahoo.com
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电子邮件地址： 您的 Yahoo! 电邮地址 （如：user@yahoo.com）
口令： 您的 Yahoo! 电邮口令

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最近迷上了firefox和Thunderbird，在使用中发现一些问题，这里转载了一篇aeonspr 的使用教程，稍微做了一点补充。

Thunderbird 收发 Webmail 教程 （Yahoo Hotmail 等）

可能大家都不太熟悉 Thunderbird 吧（以下都称为TB）。其实他和 Firefox 一样都是mozilla开发的 (不要告诉我你连Firefox都没有听过 )，所以它也和Firefox一样也支持扩展，基于这些强大的扩展我们可以做其他软件所做不到的事，不过我就先说说大家最关心的像 hotmail,yahoo 这些 Webmail 的收发吧。

1. 首先要下载 Webmail 的扩展，下载地址在 http://webmail.mozdev.org/installation.html
要说的是其中 Webmail 是必须的，其他的都是针对各种邮箱的扩展，选取你想要的就可以了。

2. 打开 Thunderbird ，找到 [工具] --> [扩展] ，然后在这里添加你刚才下到的扩展（后缀名xpi)。添加了以后， TB会要求重启，这个时候重启。

3. 打开 [文件] --> [新建] -->[账户] ，这个时候你会发现多了一项 Web 邮件。选 [Web邮件] 然后点 [下一步]。

4. 这里要求填 [姓名] 和 [Email] ，Email如实填写就可以了，然后点 [下一步]。

5. 这里是一个要注意的地方，在 [接收用户名] 这里必须要填上你的email 全称，不能只填姓名。至此，你已经可以接收邮件了但是还不能发送。

6. 在主界面上点 [账号设置] --> [发送SMTP服务器] --> [添加]， 这里要注意的是服务器名称一定要填 " localhost " (不包括引号部分)，端口25。 最后选择 [始终用名称和密码]，这里只填你邮箱的用户名。[安全连接] 可能和邮箱的不同而有不同，一般来说选择 "TLS,当可用时" 就可以了，如果不行就换别的选项。

7. 现在，你的TB已经全部配置好了，点 [获取消息] 然后填上密码就可以收Webmail了，爽吧

因为很多人都没有用过TB，所以我写得啰嗦了些，其实整个配置过程相当简单。

后话：前面说过，基于TB强大的扩展，你可以做很多事情，有兴趣的朋友可以到 官网 上找些扩展来玩玩。
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需要注意的几个重要问题：
1.aeonspr 写这篇文章的时候比较早，有些地方随着程序的升级已经有所更改，目前最新中文版本为2.0 beta 2（20070116）.第二步中的【扩展】现在为【附加软件】，第三步新建账户的界面也已经把普通pop3账户和msn，yahoo合并为电子邮件帐号，相反把Gmail帐号给单独列出来，让我不太理解。估计是Gmail帐号现在虽然已经可以使用默认的pop3方式收发，但是端口不同吧。

2.WebMail插件的设置：POP端口建议设置为1024，默认设置为110，据称低于1024可能被Windows系统阻止。【工具】-【附加软件】-【WebMail选项】-【服务器】-【端口】-【pop】。
同时需要注意的是对应的hotmail，yahoo的pop端口必须与Webmail的端口一致，否则无法接受邮件。【工具】-【邮件/新闻账户设置】-【hotmail/yahoo】 - 【服务器】，默认设置为110，这里改为1024。

3.现在的有些hotmail用户已经启用了live版本，需要把hotmail插件设置里面连接 改为 “hotmail网站 beta版”, 否则连接hotmail会提示发送密码失败，无法收取邮件，摸索了数天才发现问题的。

观音法门略释

观音法门略释
作者：李利安 [2001-6-15 21:49:16]

观音信仰是东方世界中最为流行的一种菩萨信仰，也是整个大乘佛教菩萨信仰的代表。大乘也叫“菩萨乘”，菩萨思想是大乘佛教的核心和主要标志，所以观音信仰也就是大乘佛教信仰的主要表现形式。它所包含的一切理论体系、修持仪轨及其它敬拜习惯都成为中国佛教信仰中最富活力的部分。
观音法门就是观音信仰体系中有关宗教修持的义理、仪轨及种种规定与要求。它是一种内容繁多而又独具特色的佛教修道理论。两千多年来，这种独特的法门始终胜传不衰，既吸引了亿万虔诚的信徒醉在其中，精勤修持，又极大地促进了佛教的传播。特别是推动了佛教在世俗社会中的普及与深入；同时，随着这种法门的广泛传扬，以此为题材的各种文学艺术作品大量涌现出来，与之有关的医药、保健、气功以及哲学特别是伦理思想等也得到很大发展，从而在很大程度上丰富了中国传统文化的内容。过去很少有人对这一影响广大的法门进行严谨的概括和分类，现根据有关佛教经典，按照法门内容及其修持特点，将观音法门分作如下三个方面，并对各自所包含的内容及相互之间的关系试作阐释，以请教于方家。
一、义理的观悟
这是观音法门中思辩性最强的部分，也是全部观音法门的理论基础。主要包括“般若空观”与“耳根圆通”两大类。
般若空观是大乘佛教的主要学说。约占佛教总数三分之一的各类般若经便是阐释这种学说的经典。观音法门中的般若空观散见于许多观音类经典之中，其中最集中地体现这一说教的是一部流传极广的《般若波罗蜜多心经》。经中说，观音菩萨所修的般若观悟非常高深，一旦进入这种高深的境界，即经中所说的“行甚深般若波罗蜜多时”，观音菩萨就可“照见五蕴皆空”，并依此“度一切苦厄”。“五蕴”指构成众生之生命体的五种因素（即物质性因素“色”和精神性因素“受”、 “想”、“行”、“识”），五蕴一空，生命体便失去了依托。如何看待五蕴，也就是如何看待众生本身。经中进一步解释说：“色不异空，空不异色；色即是空，空即是色。受、想、行、识亦复如是。”这就是观音菩萨在进行甚深微妙的般若观照时，所悟出的万法与性空圆融统一的道理，它成为中国佛教般若理论最著名的论题之一。体悟这种道理，层层递进，步步深入，最后便可“远离颠倒梦想，究竟涅槃”。
耳根圆通出自《楞严经》卷6。经中说，观音菩萨在楞严法会上，应释迦牟尼佛之要求，当众介绍了自己认为最好的修持法门，这个法门就是通过对听觉的修炼，而排除外界之声，即进行排除有声与无声之别，由此继续修行，达到能听与所听的消除。如果能完全彻底地消除听觉与外界之声相，那么就可进而达到一切感觉与感觉对象的空寂。由此精进不息，达到“空觉极圆” 的时候，能听与所听便都不复存在了。无所谓生，无所谓灭，即进入至高无上、清净妙乐的寂灭境界。这是超越一切的境界，是“十方圆明”的境界。一旦达到这个境界，就可获得二种“殊胜”；“一者，上合十方诸佛本觉妙心，与佛如来同一慈力；二者，下合十方一切六道众生，与诸众生同一悲仰。”
二、功夫的修炼
这是观音法门中缺乏理论思辩但却强调绝对虔诚、持之以恒、如法修炼的部分，它只要求修持者以至诚之心反复持诵神咒和称念圣号，所以，如果义理的观悟属难行道，这便是观音法门中的易行道。当然，它们在所要达到的境界上也是各有侧重的，前者旨在追求一种至高无上的精神境界，也即是实相涅槃的境界；后者则侧重于现世中或三界六道轮回过程中的消灾免难，离苦得乐。
关于诵念观音圣号，佛经中记载极多，近两千年来，它一直是观音信仰中最普遍的一种修持方法。观音圣号的全称是“南无大慈大悲救苦救难广大灵感观世音菩萨摩诃萨”，也可简称“南无大慈大悲观世音菩萨”、“南无观世音菩萨”、“观世音菩萨”等。佛经中说，如果众生遇到什么困苦和灾难，只要一心称念观音圣号，观音菩萨就可寻声而来，解救苦难，或者由于圣号的称念而产生一种神秘的感应，使称念者有求必应，所愿满足。记述称念观音名号之功用最详细的是《法华经》卷7《观世音菩萨普门品》，其中说到称念观音名号可摆脱火灾、水溺、黑风、刀兵、恶鬼、牢狱、怨贼等7种灾难；还可使众生远离淫欲、嗔恚、愚痴等“三毒”的熬煎。经中总结说：“是故众生皆应受持观世音菩萨名号。”那么受持观音名号与其它修持方式相比，其功德孰大孰小呢？经中举例说：“无尽意，若有人受持六十二亿恒河沙菩萨名号，复尽形供养饮食、衣服、卧具、医药，于汝意云何？是善男子善女人功德多否？无尽意言：甚多！世尊。佛言：若复有人受持观世音菩萨名号，乃至一时礼拜供养，是二人福，正等无异，于百千万亿劫，不可穷尽。无尽意，受持观世音菩萨名号，得如是无量无边福德之利。”
受持神咒作为观音法门中功夫修炼的另一种形式，历来受到佛教界的格外重视。咒即真言，或名陀罗尼，亦称总持法门、被视为诸佛菩萨修持得果之心法结晶。咒一般为梵文音译，佛教认为持咒者不必晓其含意，因诵咒时心解其意，反生分别之心，不能达到炉火纯青、一心不乱的境界。咒语可分为四种：第一种是长咒，最长的如《楞严咒》，长达千字以上；第二种“短咒”；第三种“咒心”，是咒语的宗要，一般只要几个字或十几个字；第四种是“种子字”，可短到只有一个梵文字，是以上三种咒语的总摄，一字可生多字，含多意，故名。咒语一般有三个方面内容：一是对本尊的赞颂、祈祷，通常以表示归敬的“唵”、“南无”开始，接着便是本尊的名号及对本尊的称颂；二是反映本尊的誓愿及其已成就的功德；三是宣扬佛教的哲理。
观音咒很多，其中许多是佛教中最为流行的咒语。如《大悲咒》被普遍视为中国佛教史上流传最广的四部佛典（其它是《金刚经》、《心经》、《观音经》）之一。这四部佛典，除《金刚经》外，另外三部经均是观音法门的经典。《心经》阐释观音法门的理论基础，即般若思想；《观音经》阐释受持观音圣号的功德妙用；《大悲咒》则是观音法门中最著名的咒语。全称《千手千眼观世音菩萨广大圆满无碍大悲心陀罗尼》。根据《大悲心陀罗尼经》中所说，此咒也叫《千手千眼大悲心陀罗尼》、《广大圆满陀罗尼》、《无碍大悲陀罗尼》、《救苦陀罗尼》、《延寿陀罗尼》、《灭恶趣陀罗尼》、《破恶业障陀罗尼》、《满愿陀罗尼》、《随心自在陀罗尼》、《速超十地陀罗尼》。经中说，此咒系过去九十九亿恒河沙数诸佛所说，观世音菩萨受之于千光王静住如来佛，并发誓弘布此咒，以安乐众生。众生若能一心向善，至诚持诵，即可在现世中心想事成，有求必应，还要治世澡八万四千种病，消除一切天灾人祸和一切邪恶的念头和欲望，降伏一切妖魔鬼怪，并能获得十五种善生，不受十五种恶死等等。除了解决这些社会的、自然的、心理的问题外，还有属于宗教解脱意义的愿望也可随心满足，如消除一切恶业重罪，成就一切善根，增长一切功德，临终时，任何佛士随愿得生等。不仅能满足这一切愿望，而且还因为诵咒者的虔诚而如法的持诵，观音便会派遣一切善神常随其左右，严密保护。关于《大悲咒》的念诵法，唐不空译《大悲心陀罗尼修行念诵略仪》中有详细说明。总之，《大悲咒》由于有如此“广大圆满”、“无碍”、“神妙”的功用，所以千百年来，它几乎成为中国佛教一切法会通行仪式中必具之内容。目前，寺院生活中，它依然是每日必作之功课，凡归依佛门的人，不论是善男，还是信女，不论是出家，还是在家，也几乎没有不首先持诵此咒者。
除《大悲咒》之外，属于观音咒的还有很多，流传极广的“六字真言”（唵嘛呢叭弥■）即属于观音灵感真言，也称六字大明咒、观音心咒。“唵”表示皈依致敬；“嘛呢”指能随意变化的宝珠，用以比喻人的心性；“叭弥”指红莲花，比喻心性的清净无染；“■”表示迅速显现，达到目的。全句意思是“归依观世音菩萨！愿仰仗您的大力加持，使我本具的清净之心性迅速呈现，从而达到妙乐的境界。”佛教认为如此神咒，不但口诵会有神效，就是着于身，触于手，藏于家，书于门，皆可逢凶化吉，遇难成祥，一切所求无不满足。
其它著名的观音咒语还有《白衣观音神咒》、《如意宝轮王陀罗尼》、《准提神咒》、《观音灵感真言》、《十一面神咒》、《不空羂索咒》、《般若波罗蜜多咒》等。
三、福德的积累
观音法门中除了义理的观悟和功夫的修炼之外，还有许多复杂的修持内容，这些皆可统摄于福德的积累这一大的范围之内。佛教对其全部修持活动有过不同的分类，其中“福慧双修”历来最受推崇，最为流行。福慧双修又称“具德具慧”、“两种庄严”、“二具足”等。
所谓“慧”，即佛家的智慧，称作“般若”、“菩提”，其中最高阶段的智慧称“阿耨多罗三藐三菩提”。修慧即是修般若法门，也就是以佛教的认识方法观察人本身、人的思维、人的生活、宇宙万物以及佛教的彼岸世界。观音法门中的义理观悟即属这方面的内容。所谓“福”，又称“福德”、“功德”。修福积德作为佛法修持的两大支柱之一，是指修持者本身力行的一切外在的修持活动，如以大乘菩萨行的“六度”来说，般若度属于修慧；布施、持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定五度则属于修福。如果称前者为内修，后者则可称之为外修。
前面讲的功夫修炼是介于福、慧二者之间或超脱于二者之上的一种特殊的修持活动。因为，借助于这种修炼，既可达到修慧的目的，也可达到修福的目的。尤其是持咒这种修炼法，是大乘佛教经过一定发展之后才出现的一种特殊法门，它力图包摄一切修持法门，故被视为诸佛菩萨“传心之秘”，真如心中流出的不虚“真言”，微妙本心的显露，能总摄一切佛法的“总持法门”。不过在后世的观音信仰中，这种总持法门并没有真正取代福慧的修持，尤其在今天，观音法门中的修福积德越来越受到中国佛教的重视，特别是其中庄严佛土、利乐有情、净化人心的内容更受到僧俗两界的普遍欢迎。
观音法门中的福德积累，作为一类非常重要的佛教修持活动，它所包括的范围是广泛的，几乎佛教中的一切持戒修福、积德行善之举，均可视作观音法门的修持活动。如果从狭义的角度来讲，观音法门中的福德积累主要有以下内容：
其一，慈悲利他。观音在中国佛教四大菩萨中被视作一位大悲菩萨，其它三位菩萨，文殊大智，普贤大行，地藏大愿，各有所专，各有所长。大悲常与大慈连称为 “大慈大悲”。既然观音是一位大慈大悲的菩萨，那么，修持观音法门，就必须首先具足慈悲之心，广行利他之事。《大智度论》卷27中说：“大慈与一切众生乐，大悲拔一切众生苦。”可见，“慈”是指爱护众生，给予欢乐，简称“与乐”；“悲”指怜悯众生，拔除苦难，简称“拔苦”。佛教认为观音菩萨的“慈”是 “无缘之慈”，即无附加条件，无其它要求。绝对慈爱；观音菩萨的“悲”是“同体之悲”，即无时间的限制，无空间的阻碍，不分贵贱贤愚，视众生之苦为己身之苦，对一切众生的平等悲爱。台湾学者南怀谨先生认为：“‘慈悲’二个字，虽然构成为一个名辞，但有两种不同的含义。所谓‘慈’，具有父性的慈爱，它在济世、救人、利物的范围中，含有庄严肃穆的意义，譬如夏天的太阳，它有利于世人与万物，但有时候也会使你望之生畏。所谓‘悲’，是具有母性的慈爱，它有一味的含容抚育万物而不辞其劳的作用。”（《观世音菩萨的慈悲与人类文化的关系》，见上海佛学书局1992年版《观音菩萨与观音法门》第2页）不论是父爱还是母爱，都是发自内心的真爱和绝对的仁善，这种爱的精神正是佛教伦理学的核心。经书中说：“慈悲是佛道之根本”，所以任何一个佛教修道者都应以观音之慈为慈，以观音之悲为悲，胸怀世界，心系众生，行善利人，积福积德，有利他的同时，求得自我的净化和灵魂的升华，最终趋于佛教的理想境界。
其二，礼拜供养。礼拜观音菩萨的形式有好多种，如：伫立合掌、五体投地、右向围绕、右膝著地等。供养观音菩萨的形式也多种多样，如香、花、烛、果、饮食、帛锦、七宝及其它一切净妙之物。《法华经·普门品》中说：“若有女人设欲求男，礼拜供养观世音菩萨，便生福德智慧之男；设欲求女、便生端正有相之女，宿植德本，众人爱敬。”“是观世音菩萨成就如是功德，以种种形游诸国土，度脱众生，是故汝等应当一心供养观世音菩萨。”该品末尾颂语又说：“观世音净圣，于苦海死厄，难为作依怙，具一切功德，慈眼视众生，福聚海无量，是故应顶礼。”《经》中还讲述了这样一件事，当释迦牟尼讲完观音的神奇威力之后，座下有一弟子名叫无尽意立即对佛说：“我现在就应立即供养观世音菩萨。”那时，观音也在法华会上，于是，无尽意便从脖子上解下价值千金的各种宝珠璎珞，呈献给观音菩萨，说道：“仁者，请接受这些珍宝璎珞吧。”观世音菩萨不肯接受。无尽意便又说道：“仁者啊，请您怜悯怜悯我们，收下这些诚意的供养吧。”这时，释迦牟尼佛对观音菩萨说：“你应当怜悯这位无尽意菩萨和其它四众弟子以及天龙八部等人天众生，接受这些璎珞吧。”观音见如来佛已开金口，便出于怜悯之心，接受了无尽意菩萨的供养，他把这些璎珞分为两份，一份奉给释迦牟尼佛，一份奉送于多宝佛塔。观音经中既然已有此供养先例，后世佛教徒便大兴供养之风，虔诚、恭敬之心几与无尽意菩萨媲美。
其三，观念圣相。《楞严经》中曾说，众生若能见到观音之身相，即可免离一切怖畏。《请观世音菩萨消伏毒害陀罗尼经》中也说：“当知此菩萨威神之力，恶鬼消伏，得见我身无比色像。”提到观念圣相最详细的还是《观无量寿佛经》，其中说：“次复应观观世音菩萨，此菩萨身长八十万亿那由他由旬，身紫金身，顶有肉髻，项有圆光，面各百千由旬。其圆光中，有五百化佛，如释迦牟尼。——化佛，有五四化菩萨，无量诸天，以为侍者。举身光中，五道众生，一切色相，皆于中现。顶上毗楞伽摩尼宝，以为天冠，其天冠中，有一立化佛，高二十五由旬。观世音菩萨，面如阎浮檀金色，眉间毫相，备七宝色，流出八万四千种光明。——光明，有无量无数百千化佛，一一化佛，无数化菩萨以为侍者，变现自在，满十方世界。譬如红莲花色，有八十亿微妙光明以为璎珞，其璎珞中，普现一切诸庄严事。手掌作五百亿杂莲花色，手十指端，一一指端，有八万四千画，犹如印文，——画有八万四千色，——色有八万四千光，其光柔软，普照一切，以此宝手接引众生。举足时，足下有千辐轮相，自然化成五百亿光明台。下足时，有金刚摩尼花，播散一切，莫不弥满，其余身相，众好具足，如佛无异，唯顶上肉髻，及无见顶相，不及世尊。……作是观者，不遇诸祸，净除业障，除无数劫生死之罪。”
其四，弘通经典。经典的弘通包括听闻读诵、印行、散发、解说等许多方面，历来被佛教视为功德无量的善事，认为此有十大功德，今生来世获益无穷，“直至三慧宏开，六通亲证，速得成佛。”（印光《印造经像之功德》，见台湾青莲出版社1989年版《印光大师文钞菁华录》第264页）观音法门中也非常重视这一点，所不同的是，它特别强调了弘通观音类经典的功德果报。《法华经·普门品》中说：“若有众生闻是观世音菩萨品自有之业、普门示现神通力者，当知是人功德不少。”宏通经典之所以会有这么大的功德，关键在于它是取得智慧的必要前提，而取得智慧则是最终解脱的关键。正如《法华经·分别功德品》中说“……何况广闻是经，若教人闻；若自持，若教人持；若自书，若教人书；若以华、香、璎珞、幢幡、缯盖、香油、酥灯供养经卷，是人功德，无量无边，能生一切种智”。“一切种智”即既把握宇宙万象的空性本质，又了解每个个性的特性，从而达到无所不知的精神境界。佛教认为弘通经典不光自已从中积功累德，也能为众生带来利益，例《大悲心陀罗尼经》中，佛对阿难说：“汝当深心清净，受持此陀罗尼，广宣流布于阎浮提，莫令断绝。此陀罗尼能大利益三界众生。”中国佛教史上有关受持、读诵、印行观音经典从而获得感应的故事很多，这也说明了弘通经典在中国佛教观音法门中的重要地位。
其五，造像立寺。造像指造作各种形式的观音像。从所造形象来看，有各种不同的观音，如六观音、三十二应身、三十三身、三十三观音以及流传各地、根据观音显化故事而造作的其它各种形式的观音造像；从制作手法来看，有画像、塑像、雕像、陶像、瓷像、铸像、刺绣像等，其中每类又可分为几种形式，如雕像中，有木雕、石雕、玉雕、金属雕、贝雕等。佛教认为，无论哪种形式，只要能发心至诚而作，让世人恭敬供养，均有巨大功德。中国佛教史上发心造作观音像的人很多，并涌现出大量因造像而获得感应故事。《齐书》中就有这样的记载，说是有位名叫孙敬德的官员在守卫北方边陲时，发心造了座观音金像，并常去上香供养，虔诚礼拜。后来，他误中敌兵奸计，兵败后将被处死。幸得观音显灵相救，使行刑者的屠刀未及砍下就折为三段，换了三次刀，均被折断。丞相高欢为此上表朝庭，赦免了他。孙敬德返回后，发现那座观音像的脖子上有三道刀痕。还有许多故事是说观音显灵相救之后，人们为了还愿感激菩萨恩德而捐资造像的，这类故事在全国各地都有，至今依然是佛门弟子乐为之举。至于立寺，由于它不是件容易的事情，所以，就其广泛性来讲，远不如造像盛行。但需要说明的是，中国历史上许多观音寺庙，都是根据观音显化故事而来的，由于这种显化故事而兴起的捐资建庙之事也是常有的，这种情况已成为中国佛教的一个重要特点。
其六，朝拜圣地。朝拜圣地是对观音表示敬拜的一种重要方式。观音圣地有很多处，佛教认为，凡是观音显化之地均可视为观音圣地。至于观音的原本住处，更是圣地之中的圣地。《华严经·入法界品》记载：“于此南方有山，名补怛落迦，彼有菩萨名观自在。”又说：“海上有山多圣贤，众宝所成极清净，华果树林皆遍满，泉流池沼悉具足，勇猛丈夫观自在，为利众生住此山。”据此，中国汉地佛教认为浙江省普陀山就是《华严经》中所说的观音道场，所以，自唐宋以后，普陀山逐渐成为汉地佛教最大的观音圣地和四大名山之一。至于因观音显化故事而兴起的或与显化故事有关的观音道场，在全国各地随处可见，仅陕西省内就有岐山县白雀寺（传说是妙善公主出家修行处）、耀县大香山寺（传说妙善公主成道处）、长安县南五台山（《普陀山志》中记述的观音降毒龙的故事即发生于此）、南郑县小南海（宋代时就成为有名的观音道场，观音送水救世的故事就发生在此）、西安大兴善寺（传说唐代蛤蜊观音显化后供奉于此）。此外，省内还有许多在历史上有名但现已湮没的观音道场。中国佛教认为，朝拜观音圣地、巡礼名山圣迹，是积累功德、获取观音护佑的一种好方式。历史上有大量朝拜普陀从而产生感应的故事。

广化寺

本寺概述
2007-08-13 16:07:00 来源：佛教在线





广化寺是北京著名的佛教十方丛林，位于北京市西城区后海鸦儿胡同，坐北朝南建在风景秀丽的什刹海后海的北岸，东邻银锭桥，西邻宋庆龄故居。全寺占地面积20余亩，13858平方米，拥有殿宇329间，共分中院、东院和西院三大院落。整座寺庙建筑布局严谨，雕梁画栋，金碧辉煌。



山门殿




天王殿




大雄宝殿




藏经阁

中院是全寺的主体建筑。正中依次分布着山门殿、天王殿、大雄宝殿、藏经阁等主要殿堂，两侧对称排列着钟楼、鼓楼、伽蓝殿、祖师殿、首座寮与维那寮。这些殿堂组成了广化寺的正院。

东院由戒坛、斋堂、学戒堂、引礼寮等殿堂组成四合院。

西院的主体建筑有大悲坛、祖堂、法堂、方丈院、退居寮等。三个院落之间回廊环绕，僧房毗连，形成一座大四合院中有众多小四合院，即“院中有院”的建筑持色。整座寺庙古柏苍翠，花草溢香，曲径通幽。

广化寺始建于元代，传说是一高僧托钵化缘、筹措布施所建，寺亦因此得名。后经明清三次修建，明天顺七年（1463年）重建过一次。明万历年间、清咸丰十二年（1852年）重修，光绪二十年（1894年）重建。1937年溥儒（名画家溥心畲）曾出资修整。

清宣统元年（1909年）曾在此筹建京师图书馆，鲁迅先生曾在此任职。1921年8月对外开放。

北京市佛教协会和北京佛教音乐团的牌子

1982年北京佛教协会成立并将会址设在此寺。

1986年，北京佛教协会在广化寺西路祖堂内肇建了北京佛教音乐团，弘扬中国传统音乐文化，演奏“京音乐”即佛教音乐，并培养后继者。

1989年8月16日（农历七月十五）广化寺举行开光、升座典礼，信众400余人到寺祝贺大佛移至颐和园佛香阁。


清雅幽静的北京佛教文化研究所

2001年广化寺内成立北京佛教文化研究所,代表广化寺又上了一个新的台阶。

每逢农历初一和十五，广化寺有法事活动。每个周六北京佛教音乐团在广化寺有演奏活动。每年农历的腊八，广化寺熬粥免费发放给到寺的市民，这一传统从建寺起延续至今。

如今，广化寺不仅是信徒们礼佛的地方，佛教音乐、礼佛仪式等已作为一种文化，成为什刹海民俗文化景区的重要组成部分。

卫生经济学书目收藏

卫生经济学书目收藏

Health Services Research Methodology Core Library Recommendations, 2007
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Compiled by AcademyHealth
Funded by the National Library of Medicine
Background
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) contracted with AcademyHealth to develop a core and a desired list of books, journals, bibliographic databases, web sites, and other media in the field of health services research methods. Both lists are intended to serve as a guide for librarians who want to develop a health services research methods collection.
Due to the breadth of the methodological areas covered by health services research, this module is organized both by core and desired materials, as well as by topic area. As such, the module offers a framework for developing a collection of HSR methods resources. The benefit of dividing the resources based upon "core" and "desired" resources, as well as by discipline, is that librarians will have a choice of which specific subtopics they deem to be most beneficial for their collection.
Across all topic areas identified, the core list contains 56 books, 50 journals, 6 bibliographic databases, and 23 web sites (and 'other' resources such as instructional videos). In developing this list, we focused intentionally on U.S. publications. Although the amount of items purchased for a collection will hinge on budgetary constraints, care was taken to define the core list as one that might be reasonable for moderately sized collections. Some books are downloadable in PDF format from the Web for free. Others, such as reference books and textbooks, are quite expensive. Likewise, some of the databases and websites are free while others require large subscription fees.
What Are Health Services Research Methods? Why Are They Important?
In the 1960's, the field of health services research was created by combining several study sections at the National Institutes of Health to create the Health Services Research Study Section . The HSR study section sought to define HSR as a distinct field of scientific inquiry at the intersection of public health and medical care, informed by disciplinary perspectives. Since that time, the field has evolved to encompass multiple disciplinary perspectives, including methods from cognate disciplines such as economics, statistics, political science, sociology, and many other schools of thought. The field has also developed new models and techniques to address research questions in specialized areas of inquiry such as patient safety and access to care.
Due to the breadth of the field, two terms are critical to defining the scope of health services research methods. These are: 1) health services research, and 2) methodology.
The AcademyHealth definition of health services research, developed in 2000 by Kathleen Lohr and Don Steinwachs, is as follows:
Health services research is the multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately our health and well-being. Its research domains are individuals, families, organizations, institutions, communities, and populations.
An additional definition of health services research is provided by Lexikon:
Research concerned with the organization, financing, administration, effects, and other aspects of health services. Health services research is often concerned with the relationships among need, demand, supply, use, and outcomes of health services. Structure, process, and outcome of health services may be evaluated. Evaluation of structure is concerned with resources, facilities, and manpower; process, with matters, such as where, by whom, and how health care is provided; and outcome, with the results of the services (such as the degree to which individuals receiving health services actually experience measurable benefits).
To assess which methods are applicable to HSR, AcademyHealth staff developed a core definition of methodologies that are applicable to health services research, expanding from a 1994 definition of methodology in Lexikon:
Methodology is the collection or study of methods (practices, procedures, and rules) used by those who work in a discipline or engage in an inquiry, as in the methodology of measuring, assessing, and improving performance. Methodology addresses the full range of issues confronted by empirical work in health services research, including conceptualization, modeling, literature review, study design, sampling, data collection, measurement, and research ethics.
By combining the definitions above, it is apparent how wide the scope of methods employed by health services researchers is. HSR methods encompass a variety of study frameworks, designs, and analytic techniques. These include a spectrum of methods, from understanding of various epistemological perspectives on research, to study designs including focus groups and randomized controlled trials, to specific analytic techniques such as longitudinal data analysis.
To help organize the array of HSR methods, core and desired resources have been divided into 18 major topic areas , including:
• Economics & Cost Effectiveness
• Epidemiology
• Ethics
• Evaluation
• Health Services Research Applied Methods
• Information Technology
• Management Sciences
• Medicine
• Outcomes Research
• Policy
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Qualitative Research
• Quality and Safety
• Sociology
• Statistics, Biostatistics & Econometrics
• Survey Research
• Trials
Reviewing the topic areas above, it is apparent that HSR methods are not confined to disciplinary methods, but rather, are unique in their approach to medical and health care delivery questions because the field was developed to facilitate study of applied questions. These include:
• Who has access to health care?
• Do patients in large urban areas receive the same level of services as those in rural areas?
• At different levels of care, which patients have the best outcomes?
Many of these types of questions have policy implications. As a result, funding for health services research has often been linked to political interests. Yet, HSR studies are girded by the same methods as many other disciplines. As discussed above, econometric, epidemiological, survey research, and other widely accepted methods form the backbone of HSR.
A related challenge for health services researchers is that the types of questions of interest to the field rely on the ability to generalize from data to the population at large. In order to collect information that may be generalized to the population, it is often necessary to draw associations from existing sources of data such as claims databases or large population surveys - frequently referred to as observational data. Observational data is collected in situations when it would be unethical or impractical to randomize participants to one condition or another - such as having or not having health insurance. Because the data is not randomized, it is not possible to assume that an intervention causes a particular outcome; rather, researchers rely on statistical analyses to draw associations between factors in a study.
Despite concerns about the shortcomings of using non-randomized data in HSR studies, there are major benefits to studying the implications of care delivery or policy at the population level. The scope of HSR studies often allows for greater understanding of an intervention's effectiveness, or effect in a real-world population, as opposed to randomized controlled trials, which are better at assessing efficacy -- the outcome in an ideal, controlled population. In addition, HSR studies have always been closely linked to policy considerations, and as such, have the potential to enhance understanding of health care systems and impact care delivery for large numbers of individuals.
Since the 1960s at the inception of HSR, health care spending has grown from 4-6% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 16% of GDP in 2004. In response to rising costs and concerns about quality and satisfaction with the current system of care, demand for new data on the appropriateness, effectiveness, and equity of medical care in the US health care system has grown in step. In order to thoroughly evaluate these questions, it is imperative to emphasize understanding and use of the most appropriate research methods for HSR.
For librarians it is becoming increasingly important to create a collection of materials that address the types of applied questions that health services research addresses. This is a daunting task because of the breadth and depth of the disciplines and subjects encompassed by HSR. As the list of disciplines and topic areas relevant to HSR demonstrates, a wide array of disciplines are included in the health services research methodological 'toolkit'.
Librarians may wish to utilize the module by choosing specific content areas that will benefit their personal library needs. Likewise, faculty developing new courses may look to this list for suggested current textbooks in the field. The organization of the list is intended to facilitate understanding of the array of options in different disciplines.
This list of resources is not intended to define the full range of HSR methods texts, rather, to provide a set of resources considered valuable by librarians and academics in the field of health services research.
The field of health services research is continually expanding and developing new methods to apply to health care and health care delivery questions. Due to the fact that the field is growing rapidly, we recommend that users of this list search for updated versions of the resources cited here in order to ensure the most recent information on methodological topics.
Core Books in Health Services Research Methods
The following list of core books in health services research methods is divided into topic areas and alphabetized by last name of the primary author.
Some of the resources focus on the application of research methods rather than on the specific method itself; these are noted with an asterisk (*).
We suggest that libraries developing a collection in health services research methods periodically check the publisher's Web site for the most recent editions available.
Economics & Cost-Effectiveness
Cuyler A.J., Newhouse J.P., 2000. Handbook of Health Economics 1A. North-Holland.
Cuyler A.J., Newhouse J.P., 2000. Handbook of Health Economics 1B. North-Holland.
Folland, S., Goodman, A., Stano, M., 2007.The Economics of Health and Health Care (5th Edition) Prentice Hall.
Gold, M.R., Siegel, J.E., Russell, L.B., Weinstein, W.C., eds. 1996. Cost-Effectiveness in Health Care. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Johnson-Lans S., 2006. Health Economics Primer. Boston, MA: Person/Addison Wesley.
Phelps, C.E., 2002. Health Economics, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Addison Wesley.
Rice, T., 2002. The Economics of Health Reconsidered, Second Edition. Chicago: Health Administration Press.
Santerre R., Neun S., 2003. Health Economics: Theories, Insights, and Industry Studies with Economic Applications Card, 3rd edition, South-Western College Publishing, 2003.
Epidemiology
Gordis, L., 2004. Epidemiology, 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders.
Haynes, R.B., 2006. Clinical Epidemiology: How to Do Clinical Practice Research, 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Piantadosi, S., 2005. Clinical Trials: a Methodologic Perspective, 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Rothman J.K., Greenland, S., 1998. Modern Epidemiology, 2nd edition. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Young T.K. 2005. Population Health: Concepts and Methods, Second edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Evaluation
Grembowski, D., 2001 The Practice of Health Program Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Mertens, D.M. 2005. Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity with Quantitative, Quanlitative, and Mixed Methods, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Patton, M.Q., 1990. Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. 2nd edition Newbury Park: Sage.
Patton, M.Q., 1986. Utilization-focused Evaluation. 2nd edition Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Veney, J.E., Kaluzny, A.D. 1998. Evaluation and Decision Making for Health Services Programs, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Wholey J., Hatry, H., Newcomer, K. 2004. Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation, 2nd edition, Jossey-Bass.
Health Services Research Applied Methods
Aday, L.A., Begley, C.E., Lairson, D.R., Balkrishnan, R. 2004. Evaluating the Healthcare System: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL, Washington, DC: Health Administration Press, AcademyHealth.
Bowling, A., Ebrahim, S. 2005. Handbook of Health Research Methods, Investigation Measurement and Analysis. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Campbell, D.T., Stanley, J.C. 1969. Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.
Choi, T., Greenberg, J.N., eds. 1983. Social Science Approaches to Health Services Research. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Harkness, J.A., van de Vijver, F.J.R., Mohler, P.P., eds. 2003. Cross-cultural Survey Methods. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Israel, B.A., Eng, E., Schulz, A.J., Parker, E.A., eds. 2005. Methods in Community-based Participatory Research for Health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Minkler, M., Wallerstein, N., eds. 2002. Community Based Participatory Research for Health. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T. 2000. Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Shi, L. 1997. Health Services Research Methods. Albany, NY: International Thomson Publishers.
Medicine
Gehlbach, S.H. 2006. Interpreting the Medical Literature, 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Professions Division.
Greenhalgh, T., et al. 2005. Diffusion of Innovations in Health Services Organizations, Malden MA: BMJ Books/Blackwell Publishing.
Guyatt, G., Rennie, D., eds. 2002. Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: a Manual for Evidence-based Clinical Practice. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association.
Sackett, D.L., Strauss, S.E., Richardson, W.S., Rosenberg, W., Haynes, R.B. 2005. Evidence-based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. Scotland: Elsevier.
Outcomes Research
McDowell, I., Newell, C. 2006. Measuring Health: a Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Stangl, D. and Berry, D., eds. 2000. Meta-Analysis in Medicine and Health Policy, New York, NY: Marcel Dekker.
Qualitative Research
Denzin, N.K., Lincoln, Y.S., eds. 2005. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M. 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Patton, M.Q. 2002. Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Strauss, A., Corbin, J. M. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Statistics, Biostatistics, and Econometrics
Armitage, P., Berry, G., Matthews, J.N.S. 2001. Statistical Methods in Medical Research, 4th ed. Boston, MA, Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications.
Fitzmaurice, G., Laird, N., Ware, J. 2004. Applied Longitudinal Analysis (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics). New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Greene, L. 2003. Econometric Analysis, 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hambleton, R. K., Swaminathan, H., Rogers, J. 1991. Fundamentals of Item Response Theory. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Hollander, M., Wolfe D. 1999. Nonparametric Statistics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: Wiley-InterScience.
Hosmer D.L., Lemeshow S. 2001. Applied Logistic Regression, 2nd edition. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Iezzoni, L.I., ed. 2003. Risk Adjustment for Measuring Healthcare Outcomes, 3rd ed. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Kennedy, P. 2003. Guide to Econometrics, 5th ed. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Kleinbaum, L., et al. 1998. Applied Regression Analysis and Other Multivariable Methods, 3rd Edition. Pacific Grove: Duxbury Press.
Kohler, U., Kreuter, F., 2005. Data Analysis Using Stata College Station, TX: Stata Press.
Long, J.S. 1997. Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Long, J.S., Freese, J. 2006. Regression Models for Categorical Data Using Stata, 2nd ed. College Station, TX: Stata Press.
Munro, B.H. 2005. Statistical Methods for Health Care Research. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Netter J., Wasserman W., Kutner M.H. 1989. Applied Linear Regression Models. 2nd ed. Boston, MA:Irwin.
Rosner, B. 2006. Fundamentals of Biostatistics, 6th ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Duxbury Press.
Stata Corp. 2005. Stata Version 9 Base Reference Manuals (or complete documentation), Stata Press.
Van Belle, G., Fisher, L.D., Heagerty, P., Lumley, T. 2004. Biostatistics: a Methodology for the Health Sciences, 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Surveys
Aday, L.A., Cornelius, L.J. 2006. Designing and Conducting Health Surveys: A Comprehensive Guide, 3rd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Dillman, D. A. 2007. Mail and Internet Surveys - The Tailored Design Method, 2nd edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Groves, R.M., et al. 2004. Survey Methodology. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Krueger, R.A., Kasey, M.A. 2000. Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Nardi, P.M. 2006. Doing Survey Research: a Guide to Quantitative Methods, 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Core Journals in Health Services Research Methods
Journals marked with an asterisk (*) are categorized as application of methods. This means that these journals may not discuss actual methods, but that they show various applications of methods. Journals marked with a carrot (^) have an international focus.
Economics & Cost-Effectiveness
• Health Care Financing Review*
• Health Economics * ^
• International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics*
• Journal of Health Economics
• PharmacoEconomics
Epidemiology
• American Journal of Epidemiology*
• American Journal of Preventive Medicine
• Epidemiology
• International Journal of Epidemiology
• Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
• Journal of Clinical Epidemiology*
Evaluation
• Evaluation & the Health Professions
• Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice*
• Evaluation Research
Health Services Research Applied Methods
• BMC Health Services Research (online journal)*
• Health Services Research*
• Health Services & Outcomes Research Methodology
• Medical Care*
• Medical Care Research and Review (MCRR)
• Social Science and Medicine
• Qualitative Health Research
Information Technology
• International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care*
Management Sciences
• Inquiry: a Journal of Medical Care Organization, Provision and Financing*
• The American Journal of Managed Care*
Medicine
• American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy: AJHP: Official Journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists*
• British Medical Journal (BMJ)
• Journal of General Internal Medicine
• JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association
• Lancet
• Medical Decision Making: an International Journal for the Society for Medical Decision Making*
• The New England Journal of Medicine
Outcomes Research
• Value in Health: the Journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
• Quality of Life Research
Policy
• Health Affairs*
• Health Research Policy and Systems (online journal)
• Inquiry*
• Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law*
• Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
Public Health
• American Journal of Public Health*
• Annual Review of Public Health*
• Journal of Public Health Management and Practice*
• Public Health Reports
Quality and Safety
• American Journal of Medical Quality: the Official Journal of the American College of Medical Quality
• International Journal for Quality in Health Care: Journal of the International Society for Quality in Health Care*
• Quality and Safety in Health Care*
Statistics, Biostatistics, and Econometrics
• Journal of Econometrics
• Journal of the American Statistical Association
• The Stata Journal
• Statistical Methods in Medical Research
• Statistics in Medicine
Trials
• BMC Medical Research Methodology (online journal)*
• Controlled Clinical Trials
Desired Books in Health Services Research Methods
The following list of desired books is alphabetized by last name of the primary author. Prior to purchasing these resources, it is recommended that a search be performed to ensure there is not a more recent edition available.
Economics & Cost-Effectiveness
Boardman, A.E., et al. 2004. Cost-Benefit Analysis: Concepts and Practice, 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Drummond, M.F. 1980. Principles of Economic Appraisal in Health Care. New York, NY, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Drummond, M.F., et al. 2005. Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes, 3rd ed. New York, NY, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Feldstein, P. 2004. Health Care Economics 6th edition. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning
Getzen,T. 2003. Health Economics: Fundamentals and Flow of Funds. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Hammond, J.S., Keeney, R.L., Raiffa, H. 1999. Smart Choices: a Practical Guide to Making Better Decision. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Miller, M., Robinson, L., Lawrence, R., eds. 2006. Valuing Health for Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. Washington, DC: Committee to Evaluate Measures of Health Benefits for Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulation, Board on Health Care Services, The National Academies Press.
Tolley, G., Kenkel, D., Fabian, R., eds. 1994. Valuing Health for Policy: An Economic Approach. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
Epidemiology
Abramson, J.H. 2001. Making Sense of Data: A Self-Instruction Manual in the Interpretation of Epidemiologic Data, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hulley, S.B., et al. 2001. Designing Clinical Research: an Epidemiologic Approach, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Jekel, J.F., Elmore, J.G., Katz, D.L. 2001. Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders.
Kleinbaum, D.G., Kupper, L.L., Morgenstern, H. 1982. Epidemiologic Research: Principles and Quantitative Methods. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Marczyk, G.R., DeMatteo, D., Festinger, D. 2005. Essentials of Research Design and Methodology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Pol, L.G., Thomas, R.K. 2001. The Design of Studies for Medical Research. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Strom, B.L. 2000. Pharmacoepidemiology, 3rd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Sukhatme, P.V., Sukhatme, B.K., Sukhatme, S. 1984. Sampling Theory of Surveys with Applications, 3rd ed. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.
Ethics
Daniels, N. 1985. Just Health Care. New York, NY: University of Cambridge.
Evaluation
Friedman, C.P., Wyatt, J.C. 2006. Evaluation Methods in Biomedical Informatics, 2nd ed. New York, NY: Springer.
Gomm, R., Davies, C., eds. 2000. Using Evidence in Health and Social Care. Thousand Oaks, CA, London: Sage Publications in association with Open University Press.
Patton, M.Q. 1996. Utilization Focused Evaluation, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Rossi, P.H., Lipsey, M.W., Freeman, H.E. 2003. Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, 7th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Steckler, A.B., Linnan, L. 2002. Process Evaluation for Public Health Interventions and Research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Thorogood, M., Coombs, Y. 2004. Evaluating Health Promotion: Practice and Methods, 2nd ed. New York, NY, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Windsor, R.A. 2004. Evaluation of Health Promotion, Health Education, and Disease Prevention Programs, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.
Health Services Research Applied Methods
Allen, P., Black, N., Clarke, A., Fulop, N., Anderson, S., eds. 2004. Studying the Organisation and Delivery of Health Services: a Reader. New York, NY, London: Routledge.
Bickman, L., Rog, D.J., eds. 1998. Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Bowling, A. 2002. Research Methods in Health: Investigating Health and Health Services, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Cook, T.D., Campbell, T.D. 1979. Quasi-experimentation: Design & Analysis Issues for Field Settings. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally College Publishing Company.
Creswell, J.W. 2003. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Crombie, I.K. 1996. Research in Health Care: Design, Conduct, and Interpretation of Health Services Research. New York, NY, Oxford: Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
DeFries, G.H., Ricketts, T.C., Stein, J.S., eds. 1989. Methodological Advances in Health Services Research. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Depoy, E., Gitlin, L.N. 2005. Introduction to Research : Understanding and Applying Multiple Strategies, 3rd ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, Mosby.
Fink, A. 2004. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Glanz, K., Lewis, F.M., Rimer, B.K., eds. 2002. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice, 3rd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Haggerty, L.A., Hawkins, J.W. 2003. Diversity in Health Care Research: Strategies for Multisite, Multidisciplinary, and Multicultural Projects. New York, NY: Springer.
Institute of Medicine. 2000. Protecting Data Privacy in Health Services Research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Ironside, P.M. 2006. Beyond Method: Philosophical Conversations in Healthcare Research and Scholarship (Interpretive Studies in Healthcare & the Human Sciences). Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Kumar, R. 2005. Research Methodology: a Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA, London: Sage Publications.
Leedy, P.D., Ormrod, J.E. 2005. Practical Research: Planning and Design, 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Miller, D. C. 2002. Handbook of Research Design And Social Measurement, 6th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications.
Morgan, G.A., et al. 2006. Understanding and Evaluating Research in Applied and Clinical Settings. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Petitti, D.B. 2000. Meta-analysis, Decision Analysis, and Cost-effectiveness Analysis: Methods for Quantitative Synthesis in Medicine, 2nd ed. New York, NY, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Shadish W.R., Cook T.D., Campbell D.T. 2002. Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design for Generalized Causal Inference. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Sobo, E.J., Kurtin, P.S., eds. 2003. Child Health Services Research: Applications, Innovations, and Insights. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Stout, C.E., Hayes, R.A., eds. 2004. The Evidence-based Practice: Methods, Models, and Tools for Mental Health Professionals. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Trochim, W.M.K. 2001. The Research Methods Knowledge Database, 2nd ed. Cincinnati, OH: Atomic Dog Publishing.
Ver Ploeg, M.,Perrin, E., & National Research Council (U.S.). Panel on DHHS Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data. 2004. Eliminating Health Disparities: Measurement and Data Needs. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
White, K.L., Frenk, J. et al., eds. 1992. Health Services Research: an Anthology. Washington, DC: Pan American Health Organization, Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the World Health Organization.
World Health Organization. 2001. Health Research Methodology: a Guide for Training in Research Methods, 2nd ed. Phillipines: The World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO).
Information Technology
Maheswaran, R., Craglia, M., eds. 2004. GIS in Public Health Practice. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
McGlynn, E.A., et al. 1998. Health Information Systems : Design Issues and Analytic Applications. Santa Monica, CA, Washington, DC: RAND.
Medicine
Stevens, A., et al. 2001. The Advanced Handbook of Evidence Based Health Care. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Outcomes Research
Bowling, A. 2001. Measuring Disease: A Review of Disease-Specific Quality of Life Measurement Scales. Buckingham, Philadelphia, PA, Open University Press.
Bowling, A. 2005. Measuring Health: a Review of Quality of Life Measurement Scales, 3rd ed. New York, NY, Berkshire: Maidenhead, Open University Press.
Carey, R.G. 2003. Improving Health Care with Control Charts: Basic and Advanced SPC Methods and Case Studies. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press.
Haines, A., Donald, A. eds. 2002. Getting Research Findings into Practice, 2nd ed. London: BMJ Publishing Group.
Kane, R.L. 2006. Understanding Health Care Outcomes Research, 2nd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Murray, C.J.L., et al. 2002. Summary Measures of Population Health: Concepts, Ethics, Measurement, and Applications. Switzerland: World Health Organization.
Roberts, A.R., Yeager, K.R., eds. 2004. Evidence-based Practice Manual: Research and Outcome Measures in Health and Human Services. New York, NY, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Stevens, A., Abrams, K., Brazier, J., Fitzpatrick, R., Lilford, R. 2001. The Advanced Handbook of Evidence Based Health Care. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Qualitative Research
Anfara, V.A., Jr., Mertz, N.T., eds. 2006. Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Crabtree, B.F., Miller, W.L., eds. 1999. Doing Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Hesse-Biber, S.N., Leavy, P., eds. 2003. Approaches to Qualitative Research: a Reader on Theory and Practice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Kreuger, R. 1997. Developing Questions for Focus Groups. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kreuger, R. 1997. Moderating Focus Groups. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kreuger, R., King, J. 1997. Involving Community Members in Focus Groups, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Kruger R. 1998. Analyzing and Reporting Focus Group Data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Lincoln, Y.S., Denzin, N.K. 2003. Turning Points in Qualitative Research: Tying Knots in a Handkerchief. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.
May, T. 2002. Qualitative Research in Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morgan, D. 1997. The Focus Group Guidebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morgan, D. 1997. Planning Focus Groups. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morse, J.M., Swanson, J.M., Kuzel, A.J., eds. 2001. The Nature of Qualitative Evidence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Murphy, E. 2003. Qualitative Methods and Health Policy Research. New York, NY: Transaction Publishers.
Parse, R.R. 2001. Qualitative Inquiry: the Path of Sciencing. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Rapport, F., ed. 2004. New Qualitative Methodologies in Health and Social Care Research. New York, NY, London: Routledge.
Rice, P.L., Ezzy, D. 1999. Qualitative Research Methods: a Health Focus. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Richards, L. 2006. Handling Qualitative Data: a Practical Guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Seale, C., et al. 2004. Qualitative Research Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Ulin, P.R., Robinson, E.T., Tolley, E.E. 2005. Qualitative Methods in Public Health: a Field Guide for Applied Research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Yin, R.K. 2003. Case Study Research: Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods S.), 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Statistics, Biostatistics, and Econometrics
Agresti, A. 2002 Categorical Data Analysis, 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Altman, D.A., et al. 2000. Statistics with Confidence: Confidence Intervals and Statistical Guidelines, 2nd ed. London: BMJ Publishing Group.
Armitage, P., Colton, T., eds. 1998. Encyclopedia of Biostatistics, 2nd ed. Chichester, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Bailar, J.C., III. 1992. Medical Uses of Statistics, 2nd ed. Boston, MA: NEJM Books.
Baker, F.B. 2004. Item Response Theory: Parameter Estimation Techniques, 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Bollen, K.A. 1989. Structural Equations with Latent Variables. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Carlin, B.P., Louis, T.A. 2000. Bayes and Empirical Bayes Methods for Data Analysis, 2nd ed. London: Chapman & Hall.
Congdon, P. 2001. Bayesian Statistical Modeling. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Conover W.J. 1999. Practical Nonparametric Statistics, 3rd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Daniel, W.W. 2004. Biostatistics: a Foundation for Analysis in the Health Sciences, 8th ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Dawson-Saunders, B., Trapp, R.G. 2004. Basic and Clinical Biostatistics, 4th ed. New York, NY: Lange Medical Books-McGraw-Hill.
Delwiche, L.D., Slaughter, S.J. 2001. The Little SAS Book: a Primer, 3rd ed. Cary, NC: SAS Publishing.
DeVeaux, R.D., Vellman, P.F., Bock, D.E. 2005. Stats: Data and Models. Boston, MA: Addison Wesley.
Diggle, P.J., Liang, K.Y., Zeger, S.L. 1994. Analysis of Longitudinal Data. London: Oxford University Press.
Diggle P.J., et.al. 2002. Analysis of longitudinal data, 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Devellis, R.F. 1991. Scale Development: Theory and Applications. Newbury, NY: Sage Publications.
Fleiss J.L. 2003. Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions, 3rd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Gelman, A., et al. 2004. Bayesian Data Analysis, 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC.
Hastle, T., Tibshirani, R., Friedman, J. 2002. The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining, Inference and Prediction. New York, NY: Springer.
Kraemer, H.C. 1987. How Many Subjects?: Statistical Power Analysis in Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Lee, P.M. 2004. Bayesian Statistics: An Introduction, 3rd ed. London: Arnold.
Levy P. S. and S. Lemeshow. 1999. Sampling of Populations: Methods and Applications. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Little, R.J.A, Rubin, D.B. 2002. Statistical analysis with missing data, 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Loehlin, J.C. 1986. Latent Variable Models: An Introduction to Factor, Path, and Structural Analysis, 3rd ed. Hillsdale, NJ: Laurence Erlbaum Associates.
Maddala, G. S. 1983. Limited-Dependent and Qualitative Variables in Econometrics. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Muller, K.E., Fetterman, B.A. 2003. Regression and ANOVA: an Integrated Approach Using SAS Software. Cary, NC, Hoboken, NJ: SAS Institute, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Pett, M.A. 1997. Nonparametric Statistics for Health Care Research: Statistics for Small Samples and Unusual Distributions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Pettiti, D. 2000. Meta-Analysis, Decision Analysis, and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Methods for Quantitative Synthesis in Medicine. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Pindyck, R.S., Rubinfeld, D.L. 1991. Econometric Models and Economic Forecasts. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rabe-Hesketh S, Everitt B. 2004. A Handbook of Statistical Analyses with STATA, 3rd ed. Boca Raton: Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Rice, J.A., 1994. Mathematical Statistics and Data Analysis, 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Duxbury Press.
Rothman, K.J. 1986. Modern Epidemiology. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Company.
Sandefur, J.T. 1993. Discrete Dynamical Modeling. New York, NY, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Selvin, S. 2004. Statistical Analysis of Epidemiologic Data, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press
Singer, J.D., Willet, J.B. 2003. Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis: Modeling Change and Event Occurrence. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Spiegelhalter D., Abrama, K., Myles, J. 2004. Bayesian Approaches to Clinical Trials and Health-Care Evaluation. Chichester, West Suzzex: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Tanner, M.A. 2002. Tools for Statistical Inference: Methods for the Exploration of Posterior Distribution and Likelihood Functions, 3rd edition. New York, NY: Springer.
Twisk, J.W.R. 2003. Applied Longitudinal Data Analysis for Epidemiology: A Practical Guide. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Van Belle G. 2002. Statistical Rules of Thumb. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Verzani J. 2005 Using R for Introductory Statistics. Boca Raton: Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Vogt, W.P. 2005. Dictionary of Statistics and Methodology: a Nontechnical Guide for the Social Sciences, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Weiss, Robert E. 2005. Modeling Longitudinal Data (Springer Texts in Statistics). New York, NY: Springer.
Wooldridge, J. 2000. Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach. New York, NY:Thompson Learning.
Maruyama, G. 1997. Basics of Structural Equation Modeling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wooldridge, J.M. 2002. Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Surveys
Chambers, R. L., Skinner, C. J., eds. 2003. Analysis of Survey Data. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Korn, E. L., Graubard, B.I. 1999. Analysis of Health Surveys. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Presser S., et al. 2004. Methods for Testing and Evaluating Survey Questionnaires. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
Trials
Gallin, J.I., ed. 2002. Principles and Practice of Clinical Research. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Desired List of Journals in Health Services Research Methods
In the process of developing a collection, it may be useful to consider acquiring selected specialty journals appropriate to their respective audience, (e.g., The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics or Statistics in Medicine).
Economics & Cost Effectiveness
• Applied Health Economics and Health Policy*
• Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation (online journal)
• The European Journal of Health Economics: HEPAC: Health Economics in Prevention and Care*
• The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics*
• Review of Economics and Statistics
Epidemiology
• AIDS Research and Therapy (online journal)*
• Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology
• Infection, Genetics, and Evolution: Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases*
• Journal of Exposure and Environmental Epidemiology
• Population Health Metrics (online journal)
Ethics
• Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics: CQ: the International Journal of Healthcare Ethics Committees
• Bioethics
Health Services Research Applied Methods
• Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Health Services Research
• Evaluation Review
• Frontiers in Health Policy Research
• International Journal of Health Services: Planning, Administration, Evaluation
• Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology
• Journal of Health Services Research and Policy
• The Journal of Rural Health: Official Journal of the American Rural Health Association and the National Rural Health Care Association
Management Sciences
• Health Care Management Science
• Management Science
Medicine
• Advances in Dental Research*
• Annals of Internal Medicine
• Applied Nursing Research: ANR*
• Archives of Internal Medicine
• Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
• Nursing Research
• Nursing Standard
• Teaching and Learning in Medicine
• Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety
• Pediatrics
Policy
• Health Policy and Planning*^
• Health Policy*^(formerly titled Health Policy & Education)
• Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
• Journal of Official Statistics
• Public Opinion Quarterly
Psychology
• Applied Psychological Measurement
• Health Psychology
• International Journal of Psychology
• Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology
• Journal of the American Psychological Association
• The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research
• Journal of Community Psychology
• Psychiatric Services
• Psychometrika
Quality and Safety
• Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety
• Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (online journal)
• International Journal of Healthcare Quality Assurance
• Journal of Nursing Care Quality*
• Quality Management in Health Care
• Quality of Life Research: an International Journal of Quality of Life Aspects of Treatment, Care and Rehabilitation
Sociology
• American Journal of Sociology
• Journal of Education and Behavioral Statistics
• Journal of Health and Social Behavior
• Social Work Research
• Sociology of Education
• Sociological Methodology
• Sociological Methods & Research
Statistics, Biostatistics, and Econometrics
• Biometrics
• Biometrika
• Biostatistics
• Econometrica
• Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology
• Journal of Business and Economic Statistics
• Journal of Survey Methodology
• Journal of the Royal Statistical Society
• Journal of the American Statistical Association
• Lifetime Data Analysis (LIDA)
• Statistics in Medicine
• Statistical Science
Trials
• Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
Core Bibliographic Databases in Health Services Research Methods
Database Name URL Description
ABI/Inform http://proquest.umi.com/i-std/en/lcd/about.htm
This is a general business databases that includes business, management, economics, and other fields. Some of the over 1,000 journals are available in full text from 1987 and on, but all abstracts are available from 1971 and on. Log-in information is needed, and database is now available through ProQuest Direct service.
CINAHL(Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) http://www.cinahl.com/
The CINAHL database provides abstracts of over 924 journals. Primarily covering nursing issues, the database also gives journal information in the topics of allied health and health sciences. It provides patient perspective, but the user must search for "methods" to retrieve articles that would relate to health services research methods.
HSTAT (Health Services/Technology Assessment Text http://hstat.nlm.nih.gov/
HSTAT is a searchable collection of large, full-text clinical practice guidelines, technology assessments and health information provided by NLM. The database provides full-text documents on health information and support for health care decision making.
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE (NLM) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/
The National Library of Medicine is the world's largest medical library. Its materials cover biomedical and health care information and research services. The NLM provides access to a variety of free bibliographic databases as well as access to data used to conduct health services research.
NLM: NLM Gateway http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd
This database allows access to all of the National Library of Medicine's resources in one search. It includes access to HSRProj, Health Services Research Meeting Abstracts, and the NLM catalog. The resources are divided into three sections: "bibliographic resources," "consumer health resources," and "other information resources." A search interface is also available that provides users with abstracts from meetings.
NLM: PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
This database, which is available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Entrez retrieval system, is a part of both the NCBI and the National Library of Medicine. It provides bibliographic information on biomedical literature from MEDLINE, OLDMEDLINE, out-of-scope citations, citations that are earlier than when the journal was selected for MEDLINE, and other life science journals.
PsycInfo http://www.psycinfo.com/
From the American Psychological Association, this database provides users with citations and abstracts for mental health and behavioral science literature. Related fields are also covered, for example psychiatry and law.
Desired Bibliographic Databases in Health Services Research Methods
Database Name URL Description Fee-base
Bandolier: Evidence Based Thinking about Health Care http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/
Provides access to current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in 5,900 of the world's leading scholarly science and technical journals. Covers more than 150 disciplines No, Internet version is free (print version costs)
BioMed Central Databases http://databases.biomedcentral.com/
A collection of databases related to biomedical research listing 1,100 sites. Most sites are free, but not all
EconLit http://www.econlit.org/
Provided by the American Economic Association, this database provides users with abstracts, indexing, and full-text article links. A search for the term "methods" will return resources related to methodology. Yes
Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI) http://www.ovid.com/site/catalog/DataBase/866.jsp?top=2&mid=3&bottom=7&subsection=10
This site is sponsored by the Behavioral Measurement Database Services (BMDS), and gives validation measures for health and psychosocial instruments. Instruments themselves are not provided. No
Science Citation Index http://scientific.thomson.com/products/sci/
The Science Citation Index is a database that includes over 100 disciplines in science and technology journals Yes
Scopus http://www.info.scopus.com/
Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database. Its specific coverage includes 4500 titles on chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering, 5900 titles on life and health sciences, 2700 titles on social sciences, psychology, and economics, 2500 titles on biological, agricultural, and environmental sciences, 50 titles on general sciences. Yes
NLM: Health Services and Sciences Research Resources (HSSR) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hsrr_search/
Provided by the National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR), this database offers a summary of datasets, instruments/indices, and software used for analysis of health services research, public health, and the behavioral and social sciences. No
Core Health Services Research Methods Web Sites
(This list also contains "other" core sources, such as electronic papers and videos.)
Site Name URL Description
AcademyHealth http://academyhealth.org/
AcademyHealth is the professional home for health services researchers, policy analysts, and practitioners, and is a non-partisan resource for the health research and policy.
Against All Odds: Inside Statistics (video recording) http://www.learner.org/resources/series65.html
A video created by the Annenberg/CPB Project (Santa Barbara, CA: 1989) to review statistical methods. Topics include picturing distributions, describing distributions; characteristics of normal distributions and normal calculations; time series data; models for growth; correlation; multidimensional data analysis; causation; experimental design; blocking and sampling; samples and surveys; probability; random variables; binomial distributions; confidence intervals; significance tests; inference; comparing two means; and case studies.
SAS http://support.sas.com/index.html
Information on SAS statistical software, including product and support information, as well as training opportunities. Manuals, software updates, and samples are available.
Stata http://www.stata.com
Information on Stata statistical software, including product and support information, as well as training opportunities and free access to PDFs of articles in The Stata Journal.
The R Project www.r-project.org
Information on the free statistical software package, R. Link to download software, as well as user manuals and updates are available.
AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY (AHRQ) www.ahrq.gov/
AHRQ's website provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes, quality, cost, use, and access. The site includes access to data, analyses, and papers funded by AHRQ.
AHRQ: Quality Tool site http://www.qualitytools.ahrq.gov/
QualityTools provides abstracts and links to give providers, health plans, policymakers, purchasers, and consumers tools for "assessing, measuring, promoting, and improving" health care quality.
AHRQ: National Quality Measures Clearinghouse http://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/
This link provides information on quality measurement for "practitioners, health care providers, health plans, integrated delivery systems, purchasers and others." The overall subject coverage is about dissemination, implementation, and use to make health care decisions.
AHRQ: Measuring HealthCare Quality http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/measurix.htm#disparity
Provides access to measures used to assess health care quality.
AHRQ: National Healthcare Disparities Report http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr02/prenhdr.htm
This site provides a description of specific measures used in the above "Measuring HealthCare Quality" report.
American Statistical Society (AMSTAT): Section on Survey Researchers http://www.amstat.org/sections/SRMS/index.html
This is a part of the American Statistical Society, and works toward the improvement of survey practice and the understanding of survey methods. The division works on sampling, nonsampling areas, education, publication, and ethics all of which are related to survey research.
Bandolier: Evidence Based Thinking about Health Care http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/
Provides access to current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in 5,900 of the world's leading scholarly science and technical journals covering more than 150 disciplines.
BUBL LINK http://bubl.ac.uk/link/r/researchmethods.htm
BUBL LINK provides a "catalogue of internet resources." This specific link gives users the sources listed under the search term, "research methods."
(**This link also only works part of the time.)
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov
CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. By searching for "health outcomes" in the search bar, visitors will be directed to a variety of health outcomes information. National and state health data is available through the site.
CDC: CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) - Monitoring the Nation's Health http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/Default.htm
Statistical information relating to actions and policies geared toward improving the health of the nation's people. Includes documentation of the national population's health and evaluations of current programs. Designed to provide rapid access to a variety of health data.
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI) http://www.cancer.gov/
A division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute is part of the Public Health Service (PHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The NCI coordinates the National Cancer Program, and supports research projects, and educational programs, as well as collecting and disseminating research on cancer. Statistical tools and data, as well as reports and funding opportunities are available on the site.
NCI: Health Services and Economics website http://healthservices.cancer.gov/
This site is a part of NCI's Cancer Control and Population Sciences and provides tools for researchers, areas of research, surveys and studies, and research networks to give information on cancer in the specific areas of health services and economics.
NCI: Statistical Research and applications http://srab.cancer.gov/
This is the website of the Statistical Research and Applications Branch (SRAB) of NCI, and is a part of NCI's Cancer Control and Population Sciences. The organization's research is aimed at "improving and developing statistical methods and models for use in the analysis and presentation of population-based cancer statistics, as well as in the broader areas of cancer surveillance and cancer control research."
NLM: HTA 101: Introduction to Health Technology Assessment http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hta101/ta101_c1.html
This text, by Clifford S. Goodman, Ph.D, the Lewin Group, was written in January, 2004. It provides an introduction to health technology assessment, covers fundamental concepts and issues, including methodological validity and integrative methods.
NLM: National Health Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hsrinfo/hsrsites.html
The NICHSR provides access to a variety of information, including current medical guidelines on a variety of topics; data tools and statistics; links to grant opportunities and other funding; ways to track federal and state legislation; meeting announcements; and training opportunities.
NLM: Outreach Evaluation Resource Center (OERC) http://nnlm.gov/evaluation/
The OERC provides assistance in helping librarians plan evaluation of outreach activities, to encourage public use of federal and state data. The Center conducts educational activities designed to help staff target and measure outreach success, as well as offering information on best practices in outreach.
Desired Health Services Research Methods Web Sites
(This list also contains "other" desired sources, such as electronic papers and videos.)
Database Name URL Description
AHRQ: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/
Provides questionnaires and data from the MEPS survey, which is designed to measure health care utilization, expenditures, health insurance, and health status. Demographic, social, and economic information is also provided.
AHRQ: MEPS Methodology Reports. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD http://207.188.212.220/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdLookup_Results.jsp?AuthorString=&TitleString=&pubStartDate=&pubEndDate=&mr=1&SearchButton2=Search
This website gives information about sample design and survey methods used to conduct MEPS.
AHRQ: MEPS Working Papers. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD http://207.188.212.220/mepsweb/data_stats/Pub_ProdLookup_Results.jsp?AuthorString=&TitleString=&pubStartDate=&pubEndDate=&wp=1&SearchButton2=Search
Staff from the Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends develop these working papers, which have not been peer-reviewed, in order to "provide preliminary analysis of substantive, technical, and methodological issues" related to MEPS.
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/publications/index.php?search=&type=5&sort=date&dir=DESC&dept=1&pageID=6
AHFMR was established in 1980 by the provincial government. The Foundation authors reports on issues related to health care quality, including improving standards of care, and develops initiatives in quality research, as well as promoting improved communication about health care quality in Alberta.
American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) http://www.amia.org/
AMIA promotes best practices in health care and information management. The organization sponsors the American College of Medical Informatics, a group of fellows recognized as leaders in the field. Grant opportunities for projects related to health information technology are listed.
CDC: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/technical_infodata/surveydata/2005.htm
Technical documents, data files, and user support for the BRFSS. The BRFSS is the world's largest ongoing telephone survey (since 1984), and is conducted by the CDC to provide nationally representative data on chronic illness, nutrition, and other behavioral health issues.
CDC: Eighth Conference on Health Survey Research Methods http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/proceedings_hsrm2004.pdf
A conference series started in 1975 to examine "critical methodological issues in health services research." Each conference focused on current issues in HSR. The eighth conference included topics such as capturing the diversity of the United States population, and how to address decreasing response rates that have been observed over time. Please note, proceedings from the 6th, 7th, and 8th conferences are available as PDF's from the CDC website. Proceedings from the 3rd Biennial Conference (1981) are available in paper but are difficult to locate.
CDC: National Center for Health Statistics Data Linkage Activities http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/r&d/nchs_datalinkage/data_linkage_activities.htm
The NCHS developed this page to provide links to data files, including surveys focusing on factors related to "disability, chronic disease, health care utilization, morbidity, and mortality." Source data that are linked to this site include the National Death Index (NDI), and Social Security Administration (SSA) data.
CDC: Summary of Surveys and Data Systems, June 2004 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/NCHS_Survey_Matrix.pdf
This file provides a list of current surveys and data systems in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). They are organized by name, data source/methods, selected applications of data produced, planned sample, race/ethnicity and SES, planned periodicity, and FY 2003-2007 plans.
CDC: Vital and Health Statistics. Series 2, Data Evaluation and Methods Research http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/series/sr02/ser2.htm
Provides access to studies employing new statistical methods. Medthods used by U.S. researchers are compared to those in other countries. Part of the "rainbow series".
CDC: Vital and Health Statistics. Series 3, Analytical and Epistemological Studies http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/series/sr03/ser3.htm
Reports on analytical and interpretive studies conducted using vital and health statistics. Part of the "rainbow series".
CDC: Vital and Health Statistics. Series 6, Cognition and Survey Measurement http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/series/sr06/ser6.htm
This website provides reports from the National Laboratory for Collaborative Research in Cognition and Survey Measurement. The reports primarily focus on the "methods of cognitive science to design, evaluate, and test survey instruments." Part of the "rainbow series".
Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine http://www.cebm.utoronto.ca/
The Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine is a part of the University Health Network in Canada. The site is provided to help medical trainees and practitioners practice and teach evidence-based medicine. The website supports a book, How to Practice and Teach EBM, by D.L. Sackett, et.al.
The Centre for Evidence Based Social Services http://www.ex.ac.uk/cebss/index.html
This website is still active, though the Centre for Evidence Based Social Services closed in October, 2004. The site is supported by the Research in Practice for Adults, which works on evidence-based practice and policy.
CENTRE FOR REVIEWS AND DISSEMINATIONS (CRD) http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/
The Centre for Reviews and Disseminations (CRD) is a part of the University of York, United Kingdom, and produces reviews on literature written about health and social care intervention effects.
CRD: Finding studies for systematic reviews: a checklist for researchers http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/revsrch.doc
This paper provides a checklist for researchers who are beginning work with systematic reviews. The site breaks up areas where methods are well developed and areas where methods are less defined.
CRD: Undertaking Systematic Reviews of Research on Effectiveness http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/report4.htm
This paper takes the reader through a step-by-step process on how to plan, conduct, and report a review. The steps are divided into phases, and the last phase discusses translating evidence into practice.
CRD: Review Methods and Resources http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/crdreview.htm
This site provides numerous links describing systematic reviews, economic evaluations, and health technology assessments. It also includes links to CRD Reports, databases, and other useful resources on these topics.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Catalog of Approved Drugs http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/index.cfm?fuseaction=Search.Search_Drug_Name
Provides a list of approved and tentatively approved prescription, non-prescription, and discontinued drugs. Also includes drug labeling and review packages. Information is organized alphabetically by drug name and active ingredient.
The Commonwealth Fund http://www.cmwf.org/
The Commonwealth Fund supports independent research on health care issues and makes grants in order to promote high standards of health care. The group aims its work at the low-income and uninsured, minorities, children, and the elderly. All papers and reports produced by the Fund are available to download.
Health Policy Statistics Section, American Statistical Association (ASA) http://www.amstat-online.org/sections/hpss/index.htm
This section of the ASA's membership works to improve "quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of health care" The group also works with government agencies to develop new statistical analysis techniques.
Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Vortal http://www.htai.org/vortal/
Provides information on health technology assessment. Includes sections on emerging technologies, glossaries and methods.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private organization that conducts research and communications programs which focus on major national health care issues. All Foundation reports are available to download.
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) http://www.ispor.org/
ISPOR is an international organization which works to "promote the science of pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes research. The site provides access to ISPOR research digest, an online database of research papers presented at ISPOR research meetings since 1998. ISPOR research practice guidelines, suggested reading, and working papers on other methodological issues are also provided.
Milbank Memorial Fund http://www.milbank.org/
The Milbank Memorial Fund is a foundation that is supported by endowments, and works to provide decision makers in the health arena with evidence and information about policy for health care and population health. The site provides links to recent reports in these areas; and, "Milbank Quarterly" may also be viewed here.
Health services research: a historical perspective, 2000 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/outreach.html#video1
This video by the NLM, provides a video narrative with interviews describing the history of health services research as well as research in the field.
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) http://www.nber.org
NBER is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that provides information on how the economy works. Four main areas are the focus of research: new statistical measurements, quantitative models of economic behavior, effects of public policy on the economy, effects of alternative policy proposals. Most papers are available to download.
Oregon Health Sciences University's (OHSU) Evidence Based Practice Center http://www.ohsu.edu/epc/
The OHSU Evidence Based Practice Center conducts healthcare topic reviews for federal and state governments, and private foundations. Primary research areas include cost-effectiveness analysis, evidence-based informatics, and technology assessment. This site offers information on the Center's comparative effectiveness work, and provides access to many of the Center's publications.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation http://www.rwjf.org/index.jsp
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the nation's largest philanthropy that works to improve health. Information on current areas of research interest, grants, books and newsletters, as well as tips and tools for conducting evaluations are available.
RTI International http://www.rti.org/index.cfm
RTI International is an independent and nonprofit research organization that works on worldwide including health and healthcare delivery. Information on services provided by RTI as well as descriptions of current projects are provided.
Society for Medical Decision Making (SMDM) http://www.smdm.org/
The SMDM website aims to provide a forum for researchers and policymakers to connect and educate themselves regarding clinical decision making and public policy. The "Education Modules" of this website offers training for clinicians in terms of reviewing the efficacy of diagnostic tests. The "reference" section provides links to PDFs for a number of publications.
Statpages.org http://statpages.org
Provides over 600 links to "online statistics books, tutorials, downloadable software, and related resources." Also includes a statistical tree and other sources to begin statistical analyses.
The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program http://seer.cancer.gov/
The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program is a part of the National Cancer Institute. SEER collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival in 26 percent of the United States population.
"Surveying Persons with Disabilities: A Source Guide." Jason Markesich, James Cashion, and Martha Bleeker, June 2006. http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1222&context=edicollect
This source guide is a collaboration between the Cornell Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics at Mathematica, and provides up-to-date and easily accessible research on the methodological issues associated with surveying persons with disabilities. The guide contains 150 abstracts, summaries, and references, as we as a subject index, and will be updated periodically.
U.S. Census Bureau Health Insurance Data http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html
The Census site contains a wealth of health insurance data, including definitions, reports, access to data files, and links to relevant sites.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS) http://www.hhs.gov/
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the primary department of the United States government devoted to protecting the health of all Americans. Information on disease conditions and special populations is available, as well as funding announcements.
HHS: Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/
OHRP works to promote safety of and protection for volunteers participating in health research. This site provides an overview of the organization, as well as regulations, policies, guidelines, and education. Upcoming conference information is also listed.
HHS: Data Council Gateway to Data and Statistics http://www.hhs-stat.net/
This website is designed to complement other government websites such as FirstGov and FedStats. The site covers health and human services data and statistics, on the federal, state, and local government level.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) http://www.who.int/en/
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the specialized health agency for the United Nations. It is governed by 192 Member States through the World Health Assembly.
WHO: Regional Office for Europe: Data and Publications http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Evidence/20010827_1
Provides a link to data and publications by the World Health Organization' Regional Office for Europe. Links to the Health Evidence Network (HEN); the World health report and European health report; country profiles, and the Atlas of health in Europe are included.
WHO: Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) http://www.who.int/whosis/en/
Up-to-date statistics on 50 health indicators of the World Health Organization's 192 member states is provided by WHOSIS
WHO: NATIONAL COORDINATING CENTRE FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT (NCCHTA) http://www.euro.who.int/HEN/Resources/NCCHTA/20050418_1
This center is part of the World Health Organization, and is based out of Southampton, United Kingdom, and works to ensure that high quality information is produced on health technology assessment. Reports are available, as well as links to related research, journals, and statistical tools.
NCCHTA: Development and validation of methods for assessing the quality of diagnostic accuracy studies http://www.hta.ac.uk/project/1140.asp
This study was conducted with the goal to develop a quality assessment tool for reviews of diagnostic accuracy. Reviews were then conducted using electronic databases, and 28 items were produced which could be included in the quality assessment tool. A final tool was produced at the conclusion of the study, which is available for download.
NCCHTA: Identification and assessment of ongoing trials in health technology assessment reviews http://www.hta.ac.uk/project/1359.asp
This study stresses the importance of health technology assessment reviews in ongoing trials. It was conducted for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to provide recommendations on trials and their impacts. A PDF version of the recommendations is available for download.
NCCHTA: Generalizability in economic evaluation studies in healthcare: a review and case studies http://www.hta.ac.uk/project/1188.asp
This study was conducted to evaluate methods used in economic evaluation studies. One of its aims was to increase the generalization of economic, including cost-effectiveness, evaluations. A PDF version is available for download.
NCCHTA: A pilot study on the use of decision theory and value of information analysis http://www.hta.ac.uk/execsumm/summ831.htm
Developed as part of the NHS Health Technology Assessment Program, this paper describes a pilot study conducted by the University of York's Centre of Health Economics Research Team. A PDF version is available for download.
NCCHTA: Research Methods and Statistics Links by Subtopic http://www.socialpsychology.org/methods.htm#power
This website is part of the Social Psychology Network, and provides links to subtopics including research methods, research methods, and statistics. It includes tools to help the user begin conducting research, and resources on research methodology, research ethics and institutional review, and data and statistics. This site also provides links to related research, organizations, and journals, and statistical tools.
NCCHTA: Netting the evidence: A ScHARR Introduction to Evidence Based Practice on the Website, Library http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/~scharr/ir/netting/
This website provides resources on evidence-based practice, including a virtual library, software, and journals. Includes a virtual library of full-text documents, user guides to the medical literature, resources arranged by broad categories, and a search engine for all resources listed on the site.
WK Kellogg Foundation http://www.wkkf.org
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation funds grants in several areas, including health, food systems and rural development, youth and education, and philanthropy and volunteerism in the United States, Southern Africa, and Latin American and the Caribbean. Information on grants, grantseeking tips, papers by grantees, and the Foundation annual report are available.
World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/

Health Economics Core Library Recommendations, 2003
compiled by AcademyHealth
funded by the National Library of Medicine
Journals
Core Journals
• Advances in Health Economics and Health Services Research
• American Journal of Public Health
• BMJ: British Medical Journal
• European Journal of Health Economics
• Frontiers in Health Policy Research
• Health Affairs
• Health Care Financing Review
• Health Care Management Review
• Health Economics
• Health Policy
• Health Services Research
• Inquiry
• International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics
• International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care
• JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association
• The Journal of Economic Perspectives
• Journal of Health Care Finance
• Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
• Journal of Health Economics
• Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
• Lancet
• Medical Care
• Medical Care Research and Review
• Milbank Quarterly
• New England Journal of Medicine
• New York Times
• Social Science and Medicine
• Wall Street Journal
• Washington Post
Desired Journals
The individual developing this collection may consider acquiring specialty journals, contingent upon their respective audience e.g., Nursing Economics, Journal of Gastroenterology.
• American Economic Review
• American Journal of Managed Care
• Annals of Internal Medicine
• Harvard Business Review
• Health Economics in Prevention and Care: HEPAC: The European Journal of Health Economics
• International Journal of Health Services
• Journal of Economic Literature
• Journal of Political Economy
• Journal of Public Health Policy
• Managed Care Interface
• Medical Decision Making
• Medical Economics
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Public Health Reports
• Quarterly Journal of Economics
• RAND Journal of Economics
• Value in Health Care
Alert Services
• American Health Line
• Bureau of National Affairs (BNA)
• American Medical News
Core Books
The following list of core books in health economics is separated into the following categories:
• Reference/Directory
• Subject Specific
• Text
If a book is an annual publication, we have noted such at the end of the citation. For such publications, we suggest the individual developing a collection in health economics periodically check the publisher's website for the newest edition available.
Reference/Directory
American Medical Association. Center for Health Policy Research. Physician Socioeconomic Statistics. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, Center for Health Policy Research. [annual publication]
American Hospital Association. AHA Guide to the Health Care Field. Chicago, IL: Healthcare Infosource, Inc. [annual publication]
American Hospital Association. Hospital Statistics. Chicago, IL: Healthcare Infosource, Inc. [annual publication]
Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States: The National Data Book. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census. [annual publication]
Congressional Budget Office. Note: The individual developing this collection should consider periodically checking the CBO website (http://www.cbo.gov) for relevant publications
Culyer, A.J. and J.P. Newhouse. Handbook of Health Economics. New York, NY: Elsevier, 2000.
Dartmouth Medical School, Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences. The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care in the United States. Chicago, IL: American Hospital Association Press, 1999.
(Note: There are several editions of the Dartmouth Atlases of Health Care: national, state, regional, and specialty-specific. Visit: http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/ for the publication(s) most relevant to your organization.)
Fronstin, P. Sources of Health Insurance and Characteristics of the Uninsured: Analysis of the March 2001 Current Population Survey. Washington, DC: Employee Benefits Research Institute. [annual publication]
Ginsburg, P.B. and C.S. Lesser, Editors. Understanding Health System Change: Local Markets, National Trends. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press, 2001.
Health Policy Tracking Service. Major Health Care Policies: Fifty State Profiles. Washington, DC: Health Policy Tracking Service, National Conference of State Legislatures. [annual publication]
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust. Employer Health Benefits: Annual Survey. Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust. [annual publication]
MedPAC. Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program: A Data Book. Washington, DC: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, 1998. Note: The individual developing this collection should consider periodically checking the MedPAC website (http://www.medpac.gov) for relevant publications.
Murray, C.J.L. and A.D. Lopez, Editors. Global Burden of Disease: A Comprehensive Assessment of Mortality and Disability from Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in 1990 and Projected to 2020. Cambridge, MA: Harvard School of Public Health, 1999.
O'Leary, M.R., and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations experts. Lexikon: Dictionary of Health Care Terms, Organizations, and Acronyms for the Era of Reform. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1994.
Plunkett Research, Ltd. Plunkett's Health Care Industry Almanac. Houston, TX: Corporate Jobs Outlook. [annual publication]
Craig, L, et al. Reforming the Health Care System: State Profiles. Washington, DC: Public Policy Institute, AARP. [annual publication]
Slee, V.N., D.A. Slee, and H.J. Schmidt. Slee's Health Care Terms: 4th Edition. St. Paul, MN: Tringa Press, 2001.
Weise, F.O. Health Statistics: An Annotated Bibliographic Guide to Information Resources. Lanham, MD: Medical Library Association and The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1997.
Winterbottom, C., D.W. Lisa, and K.M. Obermaier. State-level Databook on Health Care Access and Financing, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press, 1995.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Healthy People 2010, Volumes I and II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Health, United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. [annual publication]
Subject Specific
Aaron, H.J. Serious and Unstable Condition: Financing America's Health Care. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 1991.
Binstock, R.H. and S.G. Post. Too Old for Health Care? Controversies in Medicine, Law, Economics, and Ethics. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991.
Enthoven, A.C. Theory and Practice of Managed Competition in Health Care Financing. Amsterdam; New York: North-Holland, 1988.
Frech, H.E. Competition and Monopoly in Medical Care, Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1996.
Fuchs, V.R. The Future of Health Policy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993.
Fuchs, V.R. Who Shall Live? River Edge, NJ: World Scientific, 1998.
Ginzberg, E., et al. The Health Marketplace: New York City, 1990-2010. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 2001.
Ginzberg, E. The Medical Triangle: Physicians, Politicians, and the Public. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990.
Gray, B.H. The Profit Motive and Patient Care: The Changing Accountability of Doctors and Hospitals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991.
Greenberg, W. Competition, Regulation, and Rationing in Health Care. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press, 1991.
Greenberg, W. The Health Care Marketplace. New York, NY: Springer, 1998.
Grossman, M. The Demand for Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 1972.
Institute of Medicine. Calling the Shots: Immunization Finance Policies and Practices. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000. (Note: The individual developing this collection may consider evaluating IOM reports, when released, for possible addition to their collection.)
Institute of Medicine, Committee on Quality Health Care in America. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.
Isenberg, S.F., and R.E. Gliklich, Editors. Profiting from Quality: Outcomes Strategy for Medical Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass, 1999.
Kissick, W. Medicine's Dilemmas: Infinite Needs Versus Finite Resources. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1994.
Macinko, J., et al., Editors. Microenterprise Development for Better Health Outcomes. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.
Menzel, P.T. Strong Medicine: The Ethical Rationing of Health Care. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1990.
Mills, A., and K. Lee, Editors. Health Economics Research in Developing Countries. Oxford, England; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Millenson, M.L. Demanding Medical Excellence: Doctors and Accountability in the Information Age. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2002.
Morreim, H.E. Balancing Act: The New Medical Ethics of Medicine's New Economics. Dordrecht; Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991.
National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Working Papers Series. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Newhouse, J.P. Free for All? Lessons from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1993.
Newhouse, J.P. Pricing the Priceless: A Health Care Conundrum (The Walras-Pareto lectures). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2002.
Nova Science Publishers. The Health Care Financial Crisis: Strategies for Overcoming an Unholy Trinity. Nova Science, 2001.
Patrick, D.L., and P. Erickson. Health Status and Health Policy: Quality of Life in Health Care Evaluation and Resource Allocation. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Pauly, M. Health Benefits at Work. University of Michigan Press, 1997.
Rettenmaier, A.J. and T.R. Saving. The Economics of Medicare Reform. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, 2000.
Sloan, F. Valuing Health Care. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Smith, P.C., Editor. Reforming Markets in Health Care: An Economic Perspective (State of Health Series). Buckingham, England; Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press, 2000.
Starr, P. The Social Transformation of American Medicine. New York, NY: Basic Books, 1982.
Tulchinksy, T.H., and E.A. Varavikova. The New Public Health: An Introduction for the 21st Century. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2000.
Wiener, J.M., et al. Persons with Disabilities: Issues in Health Care Financing and Service Delivery. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, 1995.
William, J. Principles of Health Economics for Developing Countries. Washington, DC: The World Bank, 1999.
Wise, D.A. Advances in the Economics of Aging. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Textbooks:
Cleverly, W.O., and A.E. Cameron. Essentials of Health Care Finance, 5th edition. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 2002.
Culyer, A.J. and J.P. Newhouse. Handbook of Health Economics. New York, NY: Elsevier, 2000.
Drummond, M.F., et al. Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes, 2nd ed. Oxford; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Eastaugh, S.R. Health Care Finance: Cost, Productivity and Strategic Design. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 1998.
Feldman, R.D. American Health Care: Government, Market Processes, and the Public Interest. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2000.
Feldstein, P.J. Health Care Economics, 5th edition. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, 1999.
Feldstein, P.J. Health Policy Issues: An Economic Perspective on Health Reform, 2nd edition. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press; Washington, DC: AUPHA Press, 1999.
Finkler, S.A., and D.M. Ward. Essentials of Cost Accounting for Health Care Organizations, 2nd edition. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 1999.
Folland, S., et al. The Economics of Health and Health Care, 3rd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.
Getzen, T. Health Economics: Fundamentals and Flow of Funds. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1997.
Henderson, J.W. Health Economics and Policy. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Pub., 1999.
Jacobs, J.R. The Economics of Health and Medical Care, 5th edition. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 2002.
Phelps, C.E. Health Economics, 3rd edition. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 2003.
Santerre, R.E., and S.E. Neun. Health Economics: Theories, Insights, and Industry Studies. Fort Worth, TX: Dryden Press, 2000.
Sorkin, A.L. Health Economics: An Introduction. Lexington, KT: Lexington Books, 1992.
Desired List of Books
Reference/Dictionary
American Association of Health Plans. 1999 Industry Profile: A Health Plan Reference Book. Washington, DC: American Association of Health Plans, 1999.
American Medical Association. Medicare RBRVS: The Physicians' Guide. American Medical Association. [annual publication]
American Medical Association. Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, Survey and Data Resources. [annual publication]
Aventis Pharmaceuticals. HMO-PPO/Medicare-Medicaid Digest. Kansas City, MO: Aventis Pharmaceuticals, 2000.
Aventis Pharmaceuticals. Institutional Highlights Digest. Kansas City, MO: Aventis Pharmaceuticals. [annual publication]
Aventis Pharmaceuticals. Medical Group Practice Digest. Kansas City, MO: Aventis Pharmaceuticals. [annual publication]
Blades, C.A., et al. The International Bibliography of Health Economics: A Comprehensive Annotated Guide to English Language Sources Since 1914. Brighton, Sussex: Wheatsheaf Books, 1986.
Bureau of Primary Health Care. Primary Care Programs Directory 2002: The People We Serve, The People We Are. Bethesda, MD: Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Primary Health Care, 2002.
Center for Medicaid and State Operations, Health Care Financing Administration. Medicaid Statistics: Program and Financial Statistics. Baltimore, MD: Health Care Financing Administration. [annual publication]
Cherner, L.L., Editor. The Universal Healthcare Almanac. Phoenix, AZ: R-C Publications, 1990.
CCH Incorporated. Social Security Benefits Including Medicare. Riverwoods, IL: CCH Incorporated. [annual publication] Culyer, A.J., et al. An Annotated Bibliography of Health Economics: English Language Sources. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, 1977.
Dillard, et al. Health Economics Research: An Annotated Bibliography. Rockville, MD: DHHS, 1987.
Gottlieb, R., Editor. HMO/PPO Directory. Millerton, NY: Grey House Publishing, Inc. [annual publication]
Health Care Financing Administration. A Profile of Medicaid Chartbook 2000. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Care Financing Administration, 2000.
HCIA, Inc. Profiles of U.S. Hospitals. Baltimore, MD: HCIA, Inc., 2001.
Havlicek, P., et al. Medical Groups in the U.S.: A Survey of Practice Characteristics. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, Division of Survey and Data Resource, Dept. of Professional Activities Information, 1992.
Hospital and Healthcare Compensation Service. Hospital Salary and Benefits Report. Oakland, NJ: Hospital And Healthcare Compensation Service. [annual publication]
Hospital and Healthcare Compensation Service. Physician Salary Survey Report. Oakland, NJ: Hospital And Healthcare Compensation Service. [annual publication]
Marder, W.D., et al. Physician Supply and Utilization by Specialty: Trends and Projections. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 1988.
Marion Merrell Dow. Marion Merrell Dow Managed Care Digest. Kansas City, MO: Marion Merrell Dow, 1994.
McDonnell, K., and P. Fronstin. EBRI Health Benefits Databook. Washington, DC: Employee Benefit Research Institute, 1999.
Medical Economics Co. Drug Topics Red Book. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Co., Inc. [annual publication]
North Carolina Center for Health Statistics. North Carolina Health Statistics Pocket Guide (and other states' guides, e.g. Georgia Health Statistics Pocket Guide). North Carolina Center for Health Statistics.
Parexel International. PAREXEL's Pharmaceutical R&D Statistical Sourcebook. Waltham, MA: Parexel International. [annual publication]
PDR Companion Guide. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics. [annual publication]
Redick, R.W., et al. Expenditures and Sources of Funds for Mental Health Organizations, United States, 1983. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, National Institute of Mental Health, 1987.
Scrip Yearbook. Richmond, VA: PJB Publications. [annual publication]
Shepard, D.S., et al., and World Health Organization. Analysis of Hospital Costs: A Manual for Managers. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2000.
Sunshine, J.H. Determinants of Total Family Charges for Health Care: United States, 1980. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, 1990.
World Health Organization. Global Burden of Disease and Injury Series: Mortality and Disability from Suicide, Violence, War and Unintentional Injuries. Washington, DC: WHO and World Bank, 1997.
Wyszewianski, L., and S.S. Mick, Editors. Medical Care Chartbook, 9th edition. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press, 1991.
Subject Specific:
Aaron, H.J. The Problem That Won't Go Away: Reforming U.S. Health Care Financing. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 1996.
Aaron, H.J., et al. Can America Afford to Grow Old? Brookings, 1989.
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, Roberta Carroll, Editor. Risk Management Handbook for Health Care Organizations, 3rd edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
Andrulis, D., and M. Gusmano. Community Initiatives for the Uninsured: How Far Can Innovative Partnerships Take Us. New York, NY: New York Academy of Medicine, Division of Health and Science Policy, Office of Urban Populations, 2000.
Armstrong, P., et al., Editors. Unhealthy Times: Political Economy Perspectives on Health and Care. Don Mills, Ontario; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Auerbach, J.A., et al. Improving Health: It Doesn't Take a Revolution. Washington, DC: National Policy Association; Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy, 2000.
Bickel, W.K. and R.E. Vuchinich, Editors. Reframing Health Behavior Change with Behavioral Economics. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000.
Blevins, S.A. Medicare's Midlife Crisis. Washington, DC: CATO Institute, 2001.
Blue Ridge Academic Health Group. E-Health and the Academic Health Center in a Value-Driven Health Care System. Charlottesville, VA: Blue Ridge Academic Health Group, 2001.
Blumenthal, D., et al., Editors. Renewing the Promise: Medicare and Its Reform. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Bovbjerg, R.R. and J.A. Marsteller. Health Care Market Competition in Six States: Implications for the Poor. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1998.
Bovbjerg, R.R., et al. Market Competition and Uncompensated Care Pools. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2000.
Bunker, J.P., et al., Editors. Costs, Risks, and Benefits of Surgery. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1977.
Coddington, D.C., et al. Beyond Managed Care: How Consumers and Technology Are Changing the Future of Health Care. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2000.
Committee for the Study of the Future of Public Health, Division of Health Care Services, Institute of Medicine. The Future of Public Health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1988.
Connelly, R. The Effect of Child Care Costs on Married Women's Labor Force Participation. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1989.
Coulter, A. and C. Ham, Editors. The Global Challenge of Health Care Rationing. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press, 2000.
Council on Graduate Medical Education. Improving Access to Health Care Through Physician Workforce Reform: Directions for the 21st Century. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, 1992.
Council on Graduate Medical Education. Managed Health Care: Implications for Physician Workforce and Medical Education. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, 1995.
Davis, J.R. and J. Lederberg, Editors. Public Health Systems and Emerging Infections: Assessing the Capabilities of the Public and Private Sectors: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2000.
Donaldson, C., et al. Evidence-based Health Economics: From Effectiveness and Efficiency in Systematic Review. London, England: BMJ Books, 2002.
Dranove, D. The Economic Evolution of American Health Care: From Marcus Welby to Managed Care. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Drummond, M.F., and A. McGuire. Economic Evaluation in Health Care: Merging Theory with Practice. Oxford, England; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Drummond, M.F., et al. Principles of Economic Appraisal in Health Care. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1980.
Drummond, M. and A. McGuire, Editors. Economic Evaluation in Health Care: Merging Theory with Practice. London, England: Office of Health Economics, 2001.
Duffy, S.W., et al., Editors. Quantitative Methods for the Evaluation of Cancer Screening. London, England: Arnold; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Eilbert, K.W., et al. Measuring Expenditures for Essential Public Health Services. Washington, DC: Public Health Foundation, 1996.
Farley-Short, P. The Dynamics of Medicaid Enrollment. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1988.
Finkler, S.A. and D.M. Ward. Cost Accounting for Health Care Organizations: Concepts and Applications, 2nd edition. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 1999.
Fox, D. Economists and Health Care: From Reform to Relativism. New York, NY: Prodist, 1979.
Frank, R.G. Economics and Mental Health. Cambridge, MA: NBER, 1999.
Frech, H.E. III, Editor. Regulating Doctors' Fees: Competition, Benefits, and Controls under Medicare. Washington, DC: AEI Press, 1991.
Friend, D.B. Healthcare.com: Rx for Reform. Boca Raton: St. Lucie Press, 2000.
Gapenski, L.C. Understanding Healthcare Financial Management, 3rd edition. Washington, DC: AUPHA Press; Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press, 2001.
Garber, S., et al. Managed Care and the Evaluation and Adoption of Emerging Medical Technologies. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2000.
Gillion, C., et al. Measuring Health Care, 1960-1983: Expenditure, Costs, and Performance. Paris, France: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1985.
Glied, S. Chronic Condition: Why Health Reform Fails. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1997.
Gold, M.R., et al. Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Goldman, D.P., et al. The Cost of Cancer Treatment Study's Design and Methods. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2000.
Griffin, C.C. Health Care in Asia: A Comparative Study of Cost and Financing. Washington, DC: World Bank, 1992.
Hahn, R.W., et al. Do Federal Regulations Reduce Mortality? Washington, DC: AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies, 2000.
Holahan, J., et al. Cutting Medicaid Spending in Response to Budget Caps. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1995.
Holahan, J., et al. Health Policy for the Low-income Population: Major Findings from the Assessing the New Federalism Case Studies. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1998.
Holahan, J., et al. Medicaid Managed Care Payment Methods and Capitation Rates: Results of a National Survey. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1999.
Hu, T.W. and Agnes Rupp. Research in the Economics of Mental Health. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1993.
Hurley, R. and S. Zuckerman. Medicaid Managed Care: State Flexibility in Action. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2002.
Institute of Medicine; Stanley B. Jones and Marion Ein Lewin, Editors. Improving the Medicare Market: Adding Choice and Protections. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1996.
Isaacs, S.L and J.R. Knickman, Editors. To Improve Health and Health Care 2000. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
Johnson, E.A. The Economic Era of Health Care: A Revolution in Organized Delivery Systems. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996.
Johnson, R.W., et al. Insuring the Near Elderly: the Potential Role for Medicare Buy-in Plans. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2002.
Kaye, N. Medicaid Managed Care: A Guide for States. Portland, ME: National Academy for State Health Policy, 1995.
Kleinke, J.D. Oxymorons: The Myth of the U.S. Health Care System. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2001.
Long, S.H. The Effects of Being Uninsured on Health Care Service Use: Estimates From the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1990.
Lutzky, A.W., et al. Health Policy for Low-Income People: Profile of the 13 States. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2002.
Lutz, S. and E.P. Gee. Columbia/HCA: Healthcare on Overdrive. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
McBride, T. Spells Without Health Insurance: What Affects Spell Duration and Who are the Chronically Uninsured? Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1990.
McDowell, I. and C. Newell. Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires, 2nd edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996.
McFadyen, J.E., Editor. International Drug Price Guide. Arlington, VA: Center for Pharmaceutical Management, 2000.
Mills, R.E., Editor. Long-term Care Investment Strategies: A Guide to Start-ups, Facility Conversions and Strategic Alliances. Chicago, IL: Irwin Professional Publishing, 1996.
Moffitt, R. The Effect of the Medicaid Program and Welfare Participation and Labor Supply. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1990.
Monheit, A.C. Examining the Dynamics of Health Insurance Loss: A Tale of Two Cohorts. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1985.
Moon, M., Editor. Competition with Constraints: Challenges Facing Medicare Reform. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2000.
Moon, M. and M. Storeygard. Solvency or Affordability? Ways to Measure Medicare's Financial Health. Menlo Park, CA: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2002.
Morley, E., et al. Performance Measurement for State Boards of Nursing: Phase One Findings. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1998.
Morris, C.R. Too Much of a Good Thing? Why Health Care Spending Won't Make Us Sick. New York, NY: Century Foundation, 2000.
National Bureau of Economic Research. Frontiers in Health Policy Research. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. [series of conference proceedings]
Newbrander, W., Editor. Private Health Sector Growth in Asia: Issues and Implications. Chichester; New York, NY: Wiley, 1997.
Nichols, L.M., et al. Tax-preferred Medical Savings Accounts and Catastrophic Health Insurance Plans: A Numerical Analysis of Winners and Losers. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1996.
Osterweis, M., et al., Editors. The U.S. Health Workforce: Power, Politics, and Policy. Washington, DC: Association of Academic Health Centers, 1996.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The Reform of Health Care Systems: A Review of Seventeen OECD Countries. Paris, France: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1994.
Pauly, M.V., et al. Paying Physicians: Options for Controlling Cost, Volume, and Intensity of Services. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press, 1992.
Prospective Payment Assessment Commission. Medicare and the American Health Care System: Report to the Congress. Washington, DC: Prospective Payment Assessment Commission. [annual publication]
Public Policy Institute, American Association of Retired Persons. Across the State: Profiles of Long-term Care Systems, 3rd edition. Washington, DC: Public Policy Institute, 1998.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Foundation for Accountability (FACCT). A Portrait of the Chronically Ill in America, 2001. Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2002.
Rosett, R.N., Editor. The Role of Health Insurance in the Health Services Sector: A Conference of the Universities-National Bureau Committee for Economic Research. New York, NY: National Bureau of Economic Research, 1976.
Rovin, S., Editor. Medicine and Business: Bridging the Gap. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers, 2001.
Schweitzer, S.O. Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Scott, C. Public and Private Roles in Health Care Systems: Reform Experience in Seven OECD Countries. Buckingham, England; Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press, 2001.
Sloan, F.A, et al., Editors. Uncompensated Hospital Care: Rights and Responsibilities. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986.
Smith, R.D. Managed Care: Anatomy of a Mass Medical Movement. Bristol, IN: Wyndham Hall Press, 2000.
Steuerle, C.E. Finance-based Reform: The Search for Adaptable Health Policy. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1991.
Swartz, K. Spells Without Health Insurance: Distributions of Durations and Their Link to Point-in-time Estimates of the Uninsured. Washington, DC: Bureau of the Census, 1990.
U.S. Congress. General Accounting Office. NOTE: The individual developing this collection may consider adding relevant GAO reports.
Wiener, J.M. and D.G. Stevenson. Long-term Care for the Elderly: Profiles of Thirteen States. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Assessing the New Federalism, 1998.
Wiener, J.M., et al. Spending Down to Medicaid: New Data on the Role of Medicaid in Paying for Nursing Home Care. Washington, DC: American Association of Retired Persons, 1996.
Witter, S., et al. Health Economics for Developing Countries. Macmillan Education, 2000.
Wolfe, J.R. The Coming Health Crisis: Who Will Pay for Care for the Aged in the Twenty-first Century? Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1993.
World Federation of Public Health Associations Secretariat. Health, Economics, and Development: Selected Proceedings from the Seventh International Congress World Federation of Public Health Associations, 4-8 December 1994, Bali, Indonesia. Washington, DC: World Federation of Public Health Associations Secretariat, 1994.
Zuckerman, S., et al. Health insurance, Access, and Use: Tabulations from the 1997 National Survey of America's Families. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2000.
Textbooks:
Arons, R,R. The New Economics of Health Care: DRGs, Case Mix, and Length of Stay. New York, NY: Praeger, 1984.
Baker, J,J. and R.W. Baker. Health Care Finance: Basic Tools for Nonfinancial Managers. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen, 2000.
Barer, M.L., et al., Editors. Health, Health Care and Health Economics: Perspectives on Distribution. Chichester; New York, NY: John Wiley, 1998.
Berger, S.H. Fundamentals of Health Care Financial Management: A Practical Guide to Financial Issues and Activities, 2nd edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2002.
Calkins, D., et al., Editors. Health Care Policy. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Science, 1995.
Center for Health Economics Research. The Nation's Health Care Bill: Who Bears the Burden? Waltham, MA: CHER, 1994.
Clewar, A. and D. Perkins. Economics for Health Care Management. London, England: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Culyer, A.J., Editor. The Economics of Health. Aldershot, Hants, England: E. Elgar Pub., 1991.
Eastaugh, S.R. Health Economics: Efficiency, Quality, and Equity. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 1992.
Gapenski, L.C. Healthcare Finance: An Introduction to Accounting and Financial Management, 2nd edition. Chicago, IL: AUPHA/Health Administration Press, 2002.
Greenberg, W. The Health Care Marketplace. New York, NY: Springer, 1998.
Hall, G. Ethics and Economics of Health Care. St. Louis, MO: Warren H. Green, 1992.
Harrington, C. and C.L. Estes, Editors. Health Policy: Crisis and Reform in the U.S. Health Care Delivery System, 3rd edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2001.
Katz, M.L. and H.S. Rosen. Microeconomics, 3rd edition. Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Kielhorn, A. and J.M. Graf von der Schulenberg. The Health Economics Handbook, 2nd edition. Chester: Adis International, 2000.
Klarman, H.E., Editor. Empirical Studies in Health Economics. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press, 1970.
Kleinke, J.D. Bleeding Edge: The Business of Health Care in the New Century. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen, 1998.
McLean, R.A. Financial Management in Health Care Organizations. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, 1997.
Mullahy, J. Much Ado about Two: Reconsidering Retransformation and the Two-Part Model in Health Econometrics. Cambridge, MA: NBER, 1998.
Newhouse, J. Health Economics and Econometrics. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 1987.
Rice, T. The Economics of Health Reconsidered. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press, 1998.
Rodriguez-Garcia, R., et al., Editors. Microenterprise Development for Better Health Outcomes. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001.
Rosenzweig, M.R., Editor. Handbook of Population and Family Economics. Amsterdam, The Netherlands; North-Holland: 1997.
Stiglitz, J.E. Economics of the Public Sector, 3rd edition. W. W. Norton and Co., 2000.
Stoline, A.M. and J.P. Weiner. The New Medical Marketplace: A Physician's Guide to the Health Care System in the 1990s. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.
Tulchinsky, T.H. and E.A. Varavikova. The New Public Health: An Introduction for the 21st Century. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 2000.
Van der Gaag, et al. The Economics of Health Care. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982.
Zelman, W.N., et al. Financial Management of Health Care Organizations: An Introduction to Fundamental Tools, Concepts, and Applications. Malden, MA: Blackwell Business, 1998.
Zweifel, P. and F. Breyer. Health Economics. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Core Health Economics Bibliographic Databases
ABI/INFORM
http://www.umi.com/products/pt-product-ABI.shtml
Indexes and abstracts significant articles from more that 800 business and management periodicals. Fee-based
EconLit
http://www.econlit.org/
The American Economics Association's electronic bibliography of economics literature throughout the world, EconLit contains abstracts, indexing, and links to full-text articles in economics journals. It abstracts books and indexes articles in books, working papers series, and dissertations. Fee-based
Library of Congress Online Catalog
http://catalog.loc.gov/
Contains approximately 12 million records representing books, serials, computer files, manuscripts, cartographic materials, music, sound recordings, and visual materials. Free
LocatorPlus
http://locatorplus.gov/
National Library of Medicine's catalog of books, journals, and audiovisuals and access points to other medical research tools. Free
MEDLINE/PubMed
http://pubmed.gov
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/" and through database vendors as well.
References and abstracts from over 4,500 biomedical journals. Free if accessed through NLM.
NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research)
http://www.nber.org/
Access to working papers and other materials published by NBER. Fee-based
NLM Gateway
http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd
The NLM Gateway allows users to search in multiple retrieval systems at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM): MEDLINE/PubMed, OLDMEDLINE, LocatorPlus, MedlinePlus, DIRLINE, AIDS Meetings, Health Services Research Meetings, Space Life Sciences Meetings, and HSRProj. Free
PAIS International
http://www.pais.org/
A bibliographic database of policy oriented literature from the academic social sciences such as economics, finance, law, education, the military, political science, public administration, international law and relations, the environment, demography, public health, science and technology, and reports and commentary on public affairs from the serious general press. Indexed materials include books, journal articles, government documents, serials, gray literature, pamphlets, reports of public and private organizations, and Internet materials. Fee-based
Social Science Research Network
http://www.ssrn.com/
Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences. The SSRN eLibrary consists of two parts: an Abstract Database containing abstracts on over 44,500 scholarly working papers and forthcoming papers and an Electronic Paper Collection currently containing over 25,000 downloadable full text documents in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. The eLibrary also includes the research papers of a number of Fee Based Partner Publications. Primarily free, but includes access to some fee-based publications

Desired Health Economics Bibliographic Databases
AgeLine
http://research.aarp.org/ageline/home.html
AgeLine references come from the gerontology collection of AARP's Research Information Center, as well as selected articles from 300 magazines and journals. All references include original abstracts which are copyrighted by AARP. Subject keywords are assigned using AARP's Thesaurus of Aging Terminology. Focus is on social gerontology, including health sciences, demography, psychology, sociology, social work, and economics. Free
Base CODECS
http://www.inserm.fr/codecs/codecs.nsf
The objective of developing such a database is to list all published studies in the field of economic evaluation of health care technologies in the French context (more than 440 articles), analyze them and to provide a free access to the information. There is an English version. Free
CABOT
http://www.mycabot.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/cabot
Canadian health services research literature. Free
CINAHL
http://www.cinahl.com/index.html
Nursing and allied health literature. Fee-based
EMBASE
http://www.embase.com/
Biomedical and pharmacological journal literature. Fee-based
ERIC/AE Test Locator
http://www.ets.org/testcoll/index.html
The ETS Test Collection includes an extensive library of 20,000 tests and other measurement devices from the early 1900s to the present. Free
Health Economic Evaluations Database (HEED)
http://www.ohe-heed.com/
Joint initiative of the Office of Health Economics (OHE) and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Associations (IFPMA). It contains information on studies of cost-effectiveness and other forms of economic evaluation of medical and other treatments and medical interventions, and entries from the Wellcome and Battelle databases of economic evaluation literature. There are two types of reference in HEED, bibliographic references and references that have been reviewed according to a standard report format by a health economist. The latter constitute nearly half of the total of 23,500 references. Fee-based
HMIC (Health Management Information Consortium) Database
http://www.ovid.com/site/catalog/DataBase/99.jsp?top=2&mid=3&bottom=7&subsection=10
This database contains three health management databases: those of the Department of Health (United Kingdom Library and Information Services), the King's Fund Library and Information Service, and the Nuffield Institute for Health. Data from the Department of Health (DH-Data) targets health service and hospital administration, management and policy; medical equipment and supplies; personal social services; nursing, primary care and public health. Records, totaling 180,000 and with emphasis on the UK, are from 1983 to the present. In addition, records of official publications date back to 1920. The King's Fund is an independent health charity that works to develop and improve management of health and social care services; its database comprises 55,000 records on topics such as health and community care management and organizational development, inequalities in health, user involvement and health care economics. The Nuffield Institute for Health (based at the University of Leeds) database contains archival HELMIS data which holds over 54,000 records relating to health systems in the UK, Europe and Developing Countries. Fee-based
LexisNexis
http://www.lexisnexis.com/
Legal, news, public records and business information. Fee-based
LexisNexis Academic Universe
http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/1univ/acad/default.asp
LexisNexis for academic settings - full-text news, business, legal, medical and reference sources. Fee-based
NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED)
http://nhscrd.york.ac.uk/welcome.html (also available through the Cochrane Library)
Journal articles, working papers, and technology assessments that fit the criteria to be considered full economic evaluations, (studies in which a comparison of two or more treatments or care alternatives is undertaken and in which both the costs and outcomes of the alternatives are examined). They include cost-benefit analyses, cost-utility analyses, and cost-effectiveness analyses. Cost-minimization analyses and cost-consequence analyses are also included. Free (fee-based through the Cochrane Library)
PsycINFO
http://www.apa.org/psycinfo/
PsycINFO is an abstract database of psychological literature, produced by the American Psychology Association. Useful for the behavioral aspects of Health Economics. Fee-based
RePEc (Research Papers in Economics)
http://repec.org/
This site provides a list of other sites that offer all or selected parts of the RePEc database for searching. IDEAS http://ideas.uqam.ca/, offers access to the entire database. A collaborative effort of over 100 volunteers in 30 countries to enhance the dissemination of research in economics. The heart of the project is a decentralized database of working papers, journal articles and software components. Free
Science Citation Index
http://www.isinet.com/isi/products/citation/sci/
Current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in 3,700 of the world's leading scholarly science and technical journals covering more than 100 disciplines. Fee-based
Social Sciences Citation Index
http://www.isinet.com/isi/products/citation/ssci/
Contains bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in over 1,700 of the world's leading scholarly social sciences journals covering more than 50 disciplines. It also covers individually selected, relevant items from approximately 3,300 of the world's leading science and technology journals. Fee-based
WorldCat
http://www.oclc.org/oclc/man/6928fsdb/worldcat.htm
World Cat is the OCLC Online Union Catalog. It contains over 44 million bibliographic records describing books, journals, musical scores, video recordings, maps, magazines, newspapers, computer programs, manuscripts, sound recordings, visual materials, and Web sites. Links to holdings information for libraries that catalog in WorldCat. Fee-based
Relevant Health Economics Websites
Below find a listing of health economics websites. Contingent upon your audience, you may want to add state department of health websites and various university websites.
AAMC Survey of House staff Stipends, Benefits, and Funding
http://www.aamc.org/hlthcare/coth-hss/start.htm
AcademyHealth
http://www.academyhealth.org
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
http://www.ahrq.gov/
American Dental Association
http://www.ada.org/
American Economic Association
http://www.aeaweb.org/aea_home_fr.html
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
http://www.aei.org/
America's Health Insurance Plans
http://www.ahip.org/
American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org/
Auburn University WWW Sources on Health Administration/Policy
http://www.auburn.edu/%7Eburnsma/ha.html
Brookings Institution
http://www.brookings.org/dybdocroot/
Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://ww.bls.gov/
Business and Health
http://www.businessandhealth.com/be_core/b/index.jsp
California HealthCare Foundation
http://www.chcf.org/
Canadian Institute for Health Information
http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=home_e
Carnegie Mellon Health Economics
http://equilibrium.heinz.cmu.edu/healthecon/
CEA Registry: Standardizing the Methods and Practices of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cearegistry/
Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/
Center for Studying Health System Change
http://www.hschange.org/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
http://www.cms.gov/
Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE)
http://www.chere.uts.edu.au/
Century Foundation (formerly the Twentieth Century Fund)
http://www.tcf.org/
Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization (HCFO)
http://www.hcfo.net/
CHCS Center for Health Care Strategies
http://www.chcs.org/
Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada
http://www.healthcarecommission.ca
Commonwealth Fund
http://www.cmwf.org/
Conference Board of Canada
http://www.conferenceboard.ca
Congressional Budget Office
http://www.cbo.gov/
Council on Health Care Economics and Policy
http://sihp.brandeis.edu/council/
The Council on the Economic Impact of Health System Change is an independent, non-partisan body of recognized experts in economics and health policy which focuses on the economic impact of changes occurring in the health care system.
Department of Defense Pharmacoeconomic Center Links
http://www.pec.ha.osd.mil/links.htm
Department of Health and Human Services (U.S>)
http://www.dhhs.gov/
Department of Veterans Affairs (U.S.)
http://www.va.gov/
Duke Health Policy CyberExchange
http://www.hpolicy.duke.edu/cyberexchange/
ECONbase
http://www.elsevier.com/homepage/sae/econworld/menu.htm
Economics publications and alerts from the publisher Elsevier
EconData.Net Home Page
http://Econdata.net/
EconData.Net is designed to help users quickly gain access to relevant state and sub-state socioeconomic data. It has links to socioeconomic data sources, arranged by subject and provider, and pointers to data collections. EconData.Net is sponsored by the Economic Development Administration as a service to regional data users, and is jointly operated by Impresa, Inc. and Andrew Reamer and Associates, independent economic development consulting firms.
Economics of Health Care
http://www.oheschools.org/index.html
This interactive e_source from the U.K. Office of Health Economics is designed to explain to economics students, and others, the economic theory that underpins health economists' analysis.
EDIRC - Economics Departments, Institutes and Research Centers in the World
http://edirc.repec.org/index.html
Employee Benefit Research Institute
http://www.ebri.org/
General Accounting Office
http://www.gao.gov/
Glossaries of Economic Terms
http://www.economics.ltsn.ac.uk/teaching/glossaries.htm
Government Printing Office
http://www.access.gpo.gov/
Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/
Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government
Library's List of Centers for Research and Policy Development
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/library/orgs_tanks.htm
Health Economics and Implementation
http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/booths/econ.html
Health Economics - Places to Go
http://www.medecon.de/index.htm
Health Economics, Policy and Medical Outcomes Sources Databases and Health Economics Web Sites
http://www.exit109.com/zaweb/pjp/econ.htm
Health Economics Resource Centre
http://www.york.ac.uk/res/herc/
Health Information Research Unit (HIRU): Evidence-Based Health Informatics
http://hiru.mcmaster.ca/
Health Policy and Health Economics
http://www.schwimmer.com/links/policy.html
Health Resources and Services Administration
http://www.hrsa.gov/
healthecon-discuss
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/listshealthecon-discuss.html
Healthecon-discuss is a general Health Economics discussion list. Membership is open to health economists (and those interested in Health Economics) worldwide. The list is international in membership and discussion reflects this.
HealthEconomics.Com: The Professional's Guide To Health Economics, Medical And Pharmacy Resources
http://www.healtheconomics.com
Health Technology Assessment: Databases and Research Registers
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/htadbase.htm
This is a guide to health technology assessment databases and resources for locating research projects.
Human Services Research Institute
http://www.hsri.org/
Inomics: Search Economics on the Internet
http://www.inomics.com/cgi/econdir
Institute for Research on Poverty (Social Science Computing Cooperative)
http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/irp/
Institute of Health Economics
http://www.ihe.ca/
International AIDS Economics Network
http://www.iaen.org
International Clearinghouse of Health System Reform Initiatives (ICHSRI)
http://www.insp.mx/ichsri/
International Health Economics Association
http://www.healtheconomics.org
Includes a searchable database of members.
International Relations and Security Network "Links Library"
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/linkslib/
Search by topic and keyword for organizations, symposia, etc.
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research
http://www.ispor.org/
IPL (Internet Public Library) Subject Collections: Business and Economics, Economics
http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/bus28.00.00/
Kaiser Family Foundation
http://www.kff.org/
Kaiser Family Foundation, State Health Facts
http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/
Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
http://www.upenn.edu/ldi/
Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/
Links of Interest in Pharmacology
http://www.il-st-acad-sci.org/health/farmacol.html
Mathematica Policy Research
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/
MedPAC
http://www.medpac.gov/
MedWebPlus
http://www.medwebplus.com/
National Academy Press
http://www.nap.edu/ Publishes Institute of Medicine reports.
National Bureau of Economic Research Homepage
http://www.nber.org/
The NBER is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization dedicated to promoting a greater understanding of how the economy works. Its site includes a searchable database of working papers, many on health-related topics.
National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
http://www.ncemch.org/
National Center for Health Statistics
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
National Committee for Quality Assurance
http://www.ncqa.org/index.htm
National Conference of State Legislatures
http://www.ncsl.org/
National Guideline Clearinghouse
http://www.guideline.gov/
National Health Service (United Kingdom)
http://www.nhs.uk/
National Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/
National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA),
World Directory of Think Tanks
http://www.nira.go.jp/ice/nwdtt/
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
http://www.nih.gov/
National Library of Medicine (NLM)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nlmhome.html
National Science Foundation's List of FFRDCs (Federally Funded Research and Development Centers
http://www.nsf.gov/search97cgi/vtopic
NEP: New Economics Papers
http://nep.repec.org/
NEP is an announcement service which filters information on new additions to the RePEc database of economics papers and other resources into edited reports. The reports are generated by subject-specific editors. The goal is to provide subscribers with up-to-date information on new additions to the research literature. The current set of reports includes a Health Economics series.
NetEc
http://netec.wustl.edu
An international academic effort to improve the communication of economics via electronic media. It sponsors or is associated with RePEc (a database of economics papers and articles http://www.repec.org/), EDIRC, NEP, "Resources for Economists on the Internet", WebEc, and other electronic economics information resources.
New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Page
http://www.nyam.org/library/grey.shtml
Includes the Grey Literature Report, a quarterly listing of grey literature on health policy and public health, including Health Economics, and other information on this type of literature and the groups that produce it.
NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/
Office of Health Economics
http://www.ohe.org/
The Office of Health Economics (OHE) terms of reference are to: commission and undertake research on the economics of health and health care, collect and analyze health and health care data from the United Kingdom and other countries, disseminate the results of this work and stimulate discussion of them and their policy implications, and provide consultancy on the economics of health and health care.
Online Glossary of Research Economics
http://econterms.com/
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
http://www.oecd.org
An international organization helping governments tackle the economic, social and governance challenges of a globalized economy.
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
http://www.paho.org/
Rand
http://www.rand.org/
Resources for Economists on the Internet RFE
http://netec.wustl.edu/EconFAQ/EconFAQ.html
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
http://www.rwjf.org/index.jsp
Social Science Research Network (SSRN) Home Page: Economics Research Network
http://www.ssrn.com/update/ern/index.html
Sociometrics Corporation
http://www.socio.com/
Health and social science data on adolescent health, aging, AIDS, etc.
Solucient
http://www.solucient.com/
HCIA-Sachs and HBS International merged to formed this company that collects hospital and other health care information.
Thomas Legislative Information on the Internet
http://thomas.loc.gov/
United Nations
http://www.un.org/english/
University of St Andrews, PharmacoEconomics Research Centre, Recent Publications Related to Health Services Research
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/academic/management/perc_bks.htm
University of York Centre for Health Economics
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/che/
Urban Institute
http://www.urban.org/
WebEc - WWW Resources in Economics
http://netec.wustl.edu/WebEc/WebEc.html
WebMedLit
http://www.webmedlit.com/index.html
This is a service that scans selected journals for articles on a subject chosen by the user, or on one of many predefined subjects.
WHO (World Health Organization) Evidence and Information for Policy
http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm?path=evidence&language=english
This site presents current activities relating to epidemiology and the burden of disease, cost-effectiveness of health care interventions, and health systems assessment and reform.
WHO (World Health Organization) Statistical Information System
http://www.who.int/whosis/
Links to many types of international health statistics, including a links to national sources of health data.
World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org/
Health Outcomes Core Library Recommendations, 2004
Return to Web Version Printer-friendly Version
Compiled by AcademyHealth
Funded by the National Library of Medicine
Background
The core list contains 42 books and 21 journals. In developing this list, we focused intentionally on U.S. publications. Although the amount of items purchased for a collection will hinge on budgetary constraints, care was taken to define the core list as one that might be reasonable for moderately sized collections. Some books are downloadable in PDF format from the Web for free. Others, such as reference books and textbooks, can cost as much as $525.001, while other titles may be purchased for $21.00. With respect to journals, annual subscriptions range from $125.00 to $1,817.00, with $500.00 being the average. The full project report is available in PDF format for printing.
What Are Health Outcomes? Why Are They Important?
In this time of scarce resources, it has become increasingly necessary to justify the impact of any health care intervention. Clinical findings alone, while important, are often an insufficient measure of an intervention’s impact. The study of health outcomes looks beyond the physiological measures of success to examine the effects of the health care process on patients and populations.
Health outcomes research seeks to understand the effects of health care practices and interventions. Researchers in this field use various measures of outcomes in hopes of using their findings to develop better ways to monitor and improve the quality of care. Some examples of measures of outcomes include:
• Longevity, mortality
• Chronic disease and morbidity
• Complications (of disease or of medical care)
• Physical functional status
• Psychosocial functioning
• Quality of life
• Costs of care
• Use of specified services
• Satisfaction with care, experiences with care (Iezzoni, p.2.)
When compared to traditional clinical and physiological research, health outcomes research is more comprehensive, has a greater focus on the patient, and measures what is often of greatest concern to the patient. Outcomes researchers look beyond the clinical success or failure of an intervention to define success by the effects of a treatment on various areas of a patient’s life. In cancer research, for example, where a cure might not be the only goal of treatment, outcomes research has provided information to help patients make choices that can improve their quality of life (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ] Web site, June 2004).
Research in health outcomes takes into consideration patients’ functional status, well-being, and satisfaction with care. It encompasses all facets of the health care system, including clinical visits and the organization, financing, and regulation of health care (Foundation for Health Services Research, p.2). In addition, health outcomes research evaluates the results of the health care process in the doctor’s office, hospital, health clinic, and home. Randomized controlled studies—also known as efficacy studies—traditionally look at the success of treatments in a controlled environment, but can also examine the effects of those treatments as a component of health outcomes research.
The study of health outcomes is a relatively recent development in the field of health services research. Though it is difficult to place an exact date on its origin, researchers began shifting their attention to health outcomes approximately 30 years ago. Historically, clinicians relied on traditional physiological measures to determine if a health intervention is needed and whether or not that intervention is successful. Researchers have found that by looking only at these measures, they miss many of the outcomes that matter most to the patient and to society (AHRQ Web site).
The interest in health outcomes was originally derived primarily from two sources. The field of geriatrics began measuring and researching outcomes using such variables as an individual’s ability to function and their quality of life. The geriatric population often has multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations. Researchers found that single physiological measures were not adequate to meet the needs of this population. In addition, treatment goals for the geriatric population are different; rather than looking for a cure for the conditions, researchers were looking to improve functioning and the quality of life for these individuals.
In addition, studies such as the RAND Health Insurance Experiment led researchers to develop comprehensive measures to evaluate the effect of health system changes. Arguably one of the most important health insurance studies ever conducted, the experiment used a rigorous methodological approach to measurement to answer two questions in health care financing: (1) What is the impact of different levels of cost-sharing in medical care use, and (2) What consequences would this have on patients’ health? In the course of this experiment, RAND researchers, like geriatrics researchers, found single measures to be inadequate in measuring the impact of such a comprehensive and complex change. As a result, they developed new health status and patient satisfaction measures. Individuals who pioneered the RAND study in the 1970s are still leaders in the field of health outcomes research today. In addition, many of the measures developed as a result of the RAND experiment are still used predominately in the field (RAND Web site, June 2004).
The need for outcomes research was further highlighted when researchers in the early 1980s discovered that certain medical practices were performed much more frequently in some geographical areas than in others, even when there were no differences in underlying rates of disease in the places in question. In addition, there was little information about end results for patients treated using a particular intervention, and traditional clinical measures were often inadequate in determining which procedures were most effective (AHRQ Web site, June 2004).
Like the larger field of health services research, the study of health outcomes is multidisciplinary. First, it is a collaborative science that encompasses the work of physicians and nurses, economists, sociologists, political scientists, operations researchers, psychologists, biostatisticians, and epidemiologists (Foundation for Health Services Research, p. 2). Moreover, the applications of health outcomes research also traverse disciplines. Some of these applications for health outcomes measures include:
• Studies of variations in medical practice patterns;
• Comparison of the effectiveness of various treatments and procedures, (looking at which treatments for specific clinical problems work best for whom);
• Appropriateness studies that seek to develop criteria for determining circumstances in which a procedure should or should not be performed;
• Identifying patient preferences when multiple treatment options are available; and
• Development of tools to measure changes in health status and patient satisfaction with the health care process (Foundation for Health Services Research, pp. 3-5).
Though it is still a relatively young science, health outcomes research has captured the interest of a diverse group of funders, including public entities like the federal government, as well as the private sector, such as pharmaceutical or medical device companies. Some of the more prolific public supporters of health outcomes research include AHRQ and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A shift in the way health care decisions are made is one emerging effect of health outcomes research. Information gleaned from this field is being used in a shared decision-making model to help patients make more informed choices about their health care. For example, the Center for Shared Decision Making at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center provides a service to help patients make personal health care decisions. Staff members at the center will work with a patient to ensure that he or she understands the various implications of the choices facing him or her, including possible health and well-being outcomes (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Web site, June 2004). Likewise, the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making produces programs to enable patients to make informed decisions. The programs include videos and Web-based decision aids and incorporate interviews with patients who have undergone treatments and have experienced both positive and negative outcomes. The goal of the foundation is to explain thoroughly each option so that the patient, along with the physician, can decide which option best suits him or her (Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Web site, June 2004).
The study of health outcomes has implications for every aspect of the health care system, including clinical practice, treatment, quality of life, health care delivery, information health policy, and health care financing. Outcomes research can affect health policy decision making at local, state, and national levels, and in both the private and public sectors. The wide scope of this discipline has allowed it to become one of the most important tools that policymakers, clinicians, managers, and payers have to learn more about the most effective and efficient ways to provide high quality health care (Foundation for Health Services Research, p. 10). 2
Core List of Books in Health Outcomes
The following list of core books in health outcomes is alphabetized by last name of the primary author. We suggest that libraries developing a collection in health outcomes periodically check the publisher’s Web site for the newest edition available.
Adams, K. and J.M. Corrigan, eds. 2003. Priority Areas for National Action: Transforming Health Care Quality. Institute of Medicine Committee on Identifying Priority Areas for Quality Improvement. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Berger, M.L., ed. 2003. Health Care Costs, Quality, and Outcomes: ISPOR Book of Terms. Lawrenceville, NJ: International Society of Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research.
Bowling, A. 2001. Measuring Disease: A Review of Disease-Specific Quality of Life Measurement Scales, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.
Boyle, P.J., ed. 1998. Getting Doctors to Listen: Ethics and Outcomes Data in Context. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Carr, A.J. et al. 2002. Quality of Life. London: BMJ Books.
Fayers, P.M. and D. Machin. 2000. Quality of Life: Assessment, Analysis and Interpretation. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Hurtado, M.P. et al., eds. 2001. Envisioning the National Health Care Quality Report. Committee on the National Quality Report on Health Care Delivery. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Iezzoni, L.I., ed. 2003. Risk Adjustment for Measuring Health Care Outcomes. Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Institute of Medicine. 2001. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Committee on Quality Health Care in America. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Kleinpell, R.M., ed. 2001. Outcome Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing. New York: Springer.
Kohn, L.T. et al., eds. 2000. To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Leatherman, S. and D. McCarthy. 2002. Quality of Health Care in the United States, A Chartbook. New York: Commonwealth Fund.
Murray, C.J.L. et al. 2002. Summary Measures of Population Health: Concepts, Ethics, Measurements, and Applications. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Nolan, M.T. and V. Mock, eds. 2000. Measuring Patient Outcomes. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Osborne, H. 2002. Partnering with Patients to Improve Health Outcomes. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
Petitti, D.B. 2000. Meta-Analysis, Decision Analysis, and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Methods for Quantitative Synthesis in Medicine, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Schalock, R.L. 2001. Outcome-Based Evaluation, 2nd ed. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Schilp, J.L. and R.E. Gilbreath, eds. 2000. Health Data Quest: How to Find and Use Data for Performance Improvement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Staquet, M.J. et al., eds. 1998. Quality of Life Assessment in Clinical Trials: Methods and Practice. New York: Oxford University Press.
Wojner, A.W. 2001. Outcomes Management: Applications to Clinical Practice. St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Core List of Journals in Health Outcomes
Journals marked with an asterisk (*) are known as the “Big Five medical journals” and should be core to all health-related libraries.
• Annals of Internal Medicine*
• Annual Review of Public Health
• British Medical Journal*
• Canadian Medical Association Journal
• Health Affairs
• Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (online journal)
• Health Services Research
• Inquiry
• International Journal for Quality in Health Care
• Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety (formerly known as the Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement)
• JAMA*
• Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
• Lancet*
• Medical Care
• Medical Care Research and Review
• Medical Decision Making
• New England Journal of Medicine*
• Outcomes Management (online journal)
• Outcomes Management for Nursing Practice (online journal)
• Quality of Life Research
• Value in Health
Classic Books in Health Outcomes
The following list includes classic books in the field of health outcomes, as well as some that show the course the field has taken in recent years. While they many not be most current among health outcomes literature, we feel these books are extremely valuable from a historical and reference perspective.
Donabedian, A. 1980. The Definition of Quality and Approaches to Its Assessment. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Donabedian, A. 1980-1985. Explorations in Quality Assessment and Monitoring. 3 Volumes. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Donabedian, A. 1982. The Criteria and Standards of Quality. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Donabedian, A. 1985. The Methods and Findings of Quality Assessment and Monitoring. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Drummond, M.F. et al. 1997. Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Feasley, J.C., ed. 1996. Health Outcomes for Older People: Questions for the Coming Decade. Institute of Medicine Division of Health Care Services. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Foundation for Health Services Research. 1992. Health Outcomes Research: A Primer. Washington, DC: Foundation for Health Services Research. (Available at academyhealth.org/publications/monographarchives.htm)
Gold, M.R., ed. 1996. Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Luft, H.S. et al. 1990. Hospital Volume, Physician Volume, and Patient Outcomes: Assessing the Evidence. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Kane, R.L., ed. 1997. Understanding Health Care Outcomes Research. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
McDowell, I. and C. Newell. 1996. Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales and Questionnaires, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Murray, C.J.L. and A.D. Lopez., eds. 1996. The Global Burden of Disease: A Comprehensive Assessment of Mortality and Disability from Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in 1990 and Projected to 2020. Cambridge, MA: Harvard School of Public Health.
Patrick, D.L. and P. Erickson. 1993. Health Status and Health Policy: Quality of Life in Health Care Evaluation and Resource Allocation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sackett, D.L. et al. 1991. Clinical Epidemiology: A Basic Science for Clinical Medicine, 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Little, Brown.
Sederer, L.I. and B. Dickey, eds. 1996. Outcomes Assessment in Clinical Practice. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins.
Spath, P.L., ed. 1994. Clinical Paths: Tools for Outcomes Management. Chicago, IL: Jossey-Bass.
Spath, P.L., ed. 1997. Beyond Clinical Paths: Advanced Tools for Outcomes Management. Chicago, IL: American Hospital Pub.
Stewart A.L. and J.E. Ware, Jr., eds. 1992. Measuring Functioning and Well-Being: The Medical Outcomes Study Approach. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Streiner, D.L. and G.R. Norman. 1995. Health Measurement Scales: A Practical Guide to Their Development and Use, 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press.
Ware, J.E. et al. 1995. SF-12: How to Score the SF-12 Physical and Mental Health Summary Scales. Boston, MA: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center.
Ware, J.E. et al. 1993. SF-36 Health Survey Manual and Interpretation Guide. Boston, MA: The Health Institute, New England Medical Center.
Weiss, N.S. 1996. Clinical Epidemiology: The Study of the Outcome of Illness. New York: Oxford University Press.

Desired List of Books in Health Outcomes
The following list of desired books in health outcomes is alphabetized by last name of the primary author. Prior to adding to one’s collection, individuals may want to check to see if a more current edition is available.
American Medical Association. 1997. Outcomes Research Resource Guide 1997: A Survey of Current Activities. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, Department of Practice Parameters.
American Medical Association, 2000. Clinical Performance Measurement Directory. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association.
American Nurses Association. 2000. Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes in the Inpatient Hospital Setting. Washington, DC: American Nurses Association.
Chapman, G.B. and F.A. Sonnenberg. 2000. Decision Making in Health Care: Theory, Psychology, and Applications. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Codman, E.A. 1996. A Study in Hospital Efficiency as Demonstrated by the Case Report of the First Five Years of a Private Hospital. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Cohen, Alan B. et al. 2003. Technology in American Health Care : Policy Directions for Effective Evaluation and Management. Ann Arbor, MI : University of Michigan Press
Cramer, J.A. and B. Spilker. 1998. Quality of Life and Pharmacoeconomics: An Introduction. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven.
Davies, A.R. et al. 1994. A Guide to Establishing Programs for Assessing Outcomes in Clinical Settings. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Dever, G.E.A. 1997. Improving Outcomes in Public Health Practice: Strategy and Methods. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
Donaldson, M.S. and A.M. Capron, eds. 1991. Patient Outcomes Research Teams: Managing Conflict of Interest. Institute of Medicine Committee on Potential Conflicts of Interest in Patient Outcomes Research Teams. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Doran, D.M. et al., eds. 2003. Nursing-Sensitive Outcomes. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Eddy, D.M. 1992. A Manual for Assessing Health Practices & Designing Practice Policies: The Explicit Approach. Philadelphia, PA: American College of Physicians.
Fairclough, D.L. 2002. Design and Analysis of Quality of Life Studies in Clinical Trials: Interdisciplinary Statistics. Boca Raton, FL: Chapman & Hall/CRC.
Glanz, K. et al., eds. 2002. Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice, 3rd ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Hawkins, R.P. et al. 1999. Measuring Behavioral Health Outcomes: A Practical Guide. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Heithoff, K.A. and K.N. Lohr, eds. 1990. Effectiveness and Outcomes in Health Care: Proceedings of an Invitational Conference by the Institute of Medicine, Division of Health Care Services. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. 1993. The Measurement Mandate: On the Road to Performance Improvement in Health Care. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Lorig, K. et al. 1996. Outcome Measures for Health Education and Other Health Care Interventions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Markson, L. and D. Nash, eds. 1995. Accountability in Quality Health Care: The New Responsibility. Oakbrook Terrace, IL: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization.
Naar-King, S. et al., eds. 2004. Assessing Children's Well-Being: A Handbook of Measures. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
National Committee for Quality Assurance. HEDIS – Health Plan Empoloyer Data and Information Set 2004. Volume 2: Technical Specifications. Washington, DC: NCQA.
Nord, E. 1999. Cost-Value Analysis in Health Care: making Sense Out of QALYs. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Nunnally, J.C. and I.H. Bernstein. 1994. Psychometric Theory, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Palmer, R.H. et al. 1991. Striving for Quality in Health Care: An Inquiry into Policy and Practice. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press.
Patterson, R., ed. 2001. Changing Patient Behavior: Improving Outcomes in Health and Disease Management. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Schilp, J.L. and R.E. Gilbreath. Eds. 2000. Health Data Quest: How to Find and Use Data for Performance Improvement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Seltzer, J. and D.B. Nash, eds. 1997. Models for Measuring Quality in Managed Care: Analysis and Impact. New York: Faulkner & Gray's Healthcare Information Center.
Sloan, F.A. 1995. Valuing Health Care: Costs, Benefits, and Effectiveness of Pharmaceuticals and Other Medical Technologies. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Sox, H.C., Jr. et al. 1988. Medical Decision Making. Boston, MA: Butterworths.
Spilker, B. ed. 1996. Quality of Life and Pharmacoeconomics in Clinical Trials, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven.
Starfield, B. Primary Care: Concept, Evaluation, and Policy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Stone, A.A. et al., eds. 2000. The Science of Self-Report: Implications for Research and Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Dana suggested moving to core.
Vibbert, S. et al., eds. 1995. The 1995 Medical Outcomes & Guidelines Sourcebook: A Progress Report and Resource Guide on Medical Outcomes Research and Practice Guidelines: Developments, Data and Documentation. Washington, DC: Faulkner & Gray.
Wall, D.K. 1997. Measuring Outcomes: Data Analysis Made Easy. Chicago, IL: Precept Press.
Warren, K.S. and F. Mosteller, eds. 1993. Doing More Good than Harm: The Evaluation of Health Care Interventions. New York: New York Academy of Sciences. Dana suggested moving to core.
Yeomans, S.G. 2000. Clinical Application of Outcomes Assessment. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange.

Desired List of Journals in Health Outcomes
The individual developing a health outcomes collection may want to consider acquiring selected specialty journals appropriate to their respective audience, (e.g., American Review of Respiratory Disease or Statistics in Medicine). Additionally, alert services, such as those noted at the bottom of this list, should be considered.
• ACP Journal Club
• The American Journal of Epidemiology
• The American Journal of Managed Care
• American Journal of Public Health
• Archives of Internal Medicine
• Clinical Evidence
• Evidence-Based Nursing
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Gerontologist
• Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology
• Health Technology Assessment
• International Journal of Technology Assessment in Healthcare
• Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
• Journal of Chronic Disease
• Journal of General Internal Medicine
• Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law
• Journal of Health Services Research and Policy
• Milbank Quarterly
• Pain
• Pediatrics
• Quality and Safety in Health Care
• Social Science & Medicine

Alert Services
The individual developing a collection in health outcomes may want to consider subscribing to the following alert services:
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - www.ahrq.gov/news/ahrqlist.htm
• Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) - www.ebri.org
• Government Accounting Office (GAO) - www.gao.gov
• Kaiser Family Foundation - www.kff.org
• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) - www.cdc.gov/mmwr
• Reuter's Health News - www.reutershealth.com
• Report on Medical Guidelines and Outcomes Research www.mcman.com/731.htm

Core Bibliographic Databases Containing Significant Information on Health Outcomes
Database Name URL Description Fee-based
BCBS Technology Evaluation Center http://www.bcbs.com/tec/index.html
Provides healthcare decision makers with timely, objective and scientifically rigorous assessments that synthesize the available evidence on the diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of disease. No
Centre for Reviews and Dissemination www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd
From the University of York, provides research-based information about the effects of interventions used in health and social care. Includes systematic reviews, research literature scoping reviews, and access to three databases: Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, NHS Economic Evaluation Database, and Health Technology Assessment Database. Also the home of the Effective Health Care bulletins. No
CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) www.cinahl.com
Database covering nursing and allied health. Yes
The Cochrane Library www.cochrane.org/reviews/clibintro.htm
Consists of a regularly updated collection of evidence-based medicine databases, including The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Yes
DARE: Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/darehp.htm
British database of quality assessed reviews. No
EMBASE www.embase.com
Database providing access to biomedical and drug literature Yes
Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI) ovid.com/site/products/ovidguide/hapidb.htm
Citations to identify and evaluate measurement tests used in health and psychosocial studies provided by Behavioral Measurement Database Services. Accessed through Ovid. Yes
Health Services and Sciences Research Resources (HSRR) www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hsrr_search
HSRR contains information about research datasets and instruments/indices employed in Health Services Research, and the Behavioral and Social Sciences and Public Health with links to PubMed and additional resources. Provided by NLM. No
HSTAT (Health Services/Technology Assessment Text) hstat.nlm.nih.gov

HSTAT is a searchable collection of large, full-text clinical practice guidelines, technology assessments and health information provided by NLM. No
LOCATORplus locatorplus.gov
NLM's online catalog No
MEDLINE/PubMed PubMed.gov
References and abstracts from 4600 biomedical journals No
NLM Gateway gateway.nlm.nih.gov
Allows users to search National Library of Medicine retrieval systems (MEDLINE/PubMed, LOCATORplus, MEDLINEplus, ClinicalTrials.gov, DIRLINE, Meeting Abstracts, and HSRPro)j. No
Quality of Life Instruments Database www.qolid.org
Developed by the MAPI Research Institute, QOLID aims to identify and describe quality of life instruments to help you choose appropriate questionnaires and facilitate your access to them. Yes

Desired Bibliographic Databases Containing Significant Information on Health Outcomes
Database Name URL Description Fee-based
Ageline research.aarp.org/ageline/home.html
Searchable AARP database containing summaries of publications on older adults and aging (i.e., books, articles, research reports, and videos). No
AMED Allied and Complementary Medicine www.bl.uk/collections/health/amed.html
Bibliographic database produced by the Health Care Information Service of the British Library. Covers a selection of journals in several professions allied to medicine, complementary medicine, and palliative care. Yes
Lexis/Nexis Medical Research Tools www.lexisnexis.com
Provides authoritative legal, news, public records and business information. Yes
Mental Measurements Yearbook Test Reviews buros.unl.edu/buros/jsp/search.jsp
Provides free information on more than 4,000 commercially available tests. Yes
PsycInfo www.psycinfo.com
PsycINFO is an abstract database of psychological literature from the 1800s–present provided by the American Psychological Association. Yes
Science Citation Index http://scientific.thomson.com/products/scie/
Provides access to current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in 5,900 of the world's leading scholarly science and technical journals covering more than 150 disciplines. Yes
Social Science Citation Index http://scientific.thomson.com/products/ssci/
Provides access to current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in over 1,700 of the world's leading scholarly social sciences journals covering more than 50 disciplines. Yes

Relevant Health Outcomes Web Sites
Site Name URL Description
AcademyHealth www.academyhealth.org
AcademyHealth is the professional home for health services researchers, policy analysts, and practitioners, and a leading, non-partisan resource for the best in health research and policy
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) www.ahrq.gov
AHRQ research provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access.
AHRQ Evidence-Based Practice (incl. EPC Reports) www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcix.htm
Scientific reviews, evidence reports, centers and topics, and methodology.
AHRQ HCUPnet (Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project) hcup.ahrq.gov/HCUPnet.asp
A tool for identifying, tracking, analyzing, and comparing statistics on hospitals at the national, regional, and state level
AHRQ Outcomes & Effectiveness www.ahrq.gov/clinic/outcomix.htm
Medical treatment findings, pharmaceutical therapy, and outcomes research.
AHRQ Quality Indicators www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov
Measures of health care quality that make use of readily available hospital inpatient administrative data.
AHRQ Technology Assessments www.ahrq.gov/clinic/techix.htm
AHRQ's technology assessment program uses state-of-the-art methodologies for assessing the clinical utility of medical interventions. Technology assessments are based on a systematic review of the literature, along with appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods of synthesizing data from multiple studies.
American Health Quality Association www.ahqa.org
The nation's largest medical specialty society. Its mission is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine. Under Quality Improvement in Action Section, read vignettes on success stories in improving care, process indicators, and outcomes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov
CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships. Visitors to this site should enter "health outcomes" in the search bar to be directed to a variety of health outcomes information.
Center for Collaborative Research in Health Outcomes and Policy (CRHOP) www.ccrhop.org
A group of individuals with extensive experience and expertise in designing and implementing health outcomes and policy research. Uses innovative technologies to create systems and conduct research for the development, management and understanding of health improvement, outreach and promotion, as well as disease management, clinical outcomes and health policy analysis.
Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research dcc2.bumc.bu.edu/chqoer
One of 13 Centers of Excellence within the Veterans Administration Health Services Research and Development Program. Research focuses on health quality assessment, outcomes measurement, health economics, and health statistics.
Center for Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research www.ibiblio.org/pharmacy/Cepor/cepor.html
Contributes to the improvement of patient health outcomes, primarily those related to potential or actual use of pharmaceuticals, through methodology development, evaluative research, translation of research findings to practice, and education.
Center for Health Policy and Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research chppcor.stanford.edu
The Center for Health Policy (CHP) and the Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research (PCOR) are two centers carrying out innovative research on critical issues of health care and health policy--dedicated to providing reliable information for health policy and health care delivery to public and private sector decision-makers.
Center for Quality of Care Research and Education (QCARE) www.hsph.harvard.edu/qcare
A Harvard University program dedicated to developing and disseminating practical methods for improving the quality of medical care.
Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth www.dartmouth.edu/~cecs/index.html
A locus of scientists and clinician-scholars from Dartmouth's medical and graduate schools who conduct cutting edge research on critical medical and health issues with the goal of measuring, organizing, and improving the health care system.
Centers for Education & Research on Therapeutics www.certs.hhs.gov
A research program administered by AHRQ that conducts research and provides education to advance the optimal use of drugs, medical devices, and biological products.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services www.cms.gov
Formerly the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), CMS is a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responsible for Medicare, Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), HIPAA, and CLIA.
Center for Outcomes Research (University of Massachusetts Medical School) http://www.outcomes-umassmed.org/
Collects and evaluates data that reflect real world clinical practices and outcomes and provides physicians with confidential reports that allow comparison of their practices to evidence-based performance standards.
Consortium for Health Outcomes Innovations and Cost Effectiveness Studies (CHOICES) www.med.umich.edu/choices
Site dedicated to assisting researchers studying the quality and economic impact of health care services.
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care www.dartmouthatlas.org
Brings together researchers in diverse disciplines - including epidemiology, economics, and statistics - and focuses on the accurate description of how medical resources are distributed and used in the United States. The project publishes a series of books, related to health outcomes, many of which can be viewed or downloaded here.
Disease Management Association of America www.dmaa.org
A membership organization serving the disease management community. See especially the Outcomes Consolidation Project on measuring the outcomes of disease management programs.
Effective Health Care www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/ehcb.htm
A bi-monthly bulletin for decision makers which examines the effectiveness of a variety of health care interventions.
EuroQuol Group www.euroqol.org
An international network of multidisciplinary researchers involved in the design, update, and translation of a systematic instrument for measuring health status and health-related quality of life.
HCFO (Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization) www.hcfo.net
Strives to bridge the health services research and health policy communities and to provide public and private decision-makers with usable information on health care policy, financing, and organization.
Health Institute at Tufts New England Medical Center nemc.org/dccr/
The%20Health%20Institute.htm
At Tufts-New England Medical Center, The Health Institute improves individual and population health by advancing measurement of and knowledge about the social, behavioral, medical and biologic factors that influence health.
Health Utilities Group/Health Utilities Index and Quality of Life www.fhs.mcmaster.ca/hug
The Health Utilities Index is a generic, preference-scored, comprehensive system for measuring health status, health-related quality of life, and producing utility scores. The Health Utilities Group focuses on preference-based measures of health-related quality of life for describing treatment process and outcomes in clinical studies, for population health studies, and economic evaluations of health care services.
Highwire Press highwire.stanford.edu/lists/freeart.dtl
List of journals/articles that are freely available online (limited to journals published electronically with the assistance of Highwire Press). Includes journals related to health outcomes including BMJ, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Health Affairs, and others.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement www.ihi.org
A nonprofit organization that offers resources and services to help health care organizations make improvements that enhance clinical outcomes and reduce costs.
Institute of Medicine www.iom.edu
Part of the National Academies, IOM works outside the framework of government to ensure scientifically informed analysis and independent guidance. IOM serves as adviser to the nation to improve health. and provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large.
International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment www.inahta.org
Provides a forum for the identification and pursuit of interests common to health technology assessment agencies. Also provides links to several health outcomes information sources.
International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research www.ispor.org
An international organization promoting the science of pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes research.
International Society for Quality in Health Care www.isqua.org.au
A non-profit, independent organization that works to provide services to guide health professionals, providers, researchers, agencies, policy makers, and consumers; to achieve excellence in healthcare delivery to all people; and to continuously improve the quality and safety of care. Produces The International Journal for Quality in Health Care.
International Society for Quality of Life Research http://www.isoqol.org/
Promotes the rigorous investigation of health-related quality of life measurement from conceptualization to application and practice.
International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies http://www.isqols.org/
An international society that promotes and encourages research in the field of quality-of-life studies.
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations www.jcaho.org
An independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits more than 16,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Kaiser Family Foundation www.kff.org
An independent philanthropy focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation.
MAPI www.mapi-research-inst.org
An international health outcomes organization that supports and promotes research in the field of health-related quality-of-life. More than 11,000 articles, books, journals and reports on health outcomes are indexed in the Information Resources Centre library catalogue. Twice a year MAPI publishes the Quality of Life newsletter, recognized as a major means of communication and information in the field. MAPI also developed the Quality of Life Instruments (QOLID) database. Refer to databases for additional information.
Measurement Excellence and Training Resource Information Center (METRIC -- formerly Measurement Excellence Initiative). www.measurementexperts.org
One of four resource centers under the VA Health Services and Research Development (HSR&D) Service. Focus is on disseminating of information about finding, evaluating, and applying measurement instruments; educating researchers in all phases of the measurement process; facilitating the sharing of measurement knowledge; and advancing measurement science through research.
Medical Outcomes Trust www.outcomes-trust.org/
A not for profit organization dedicated to improving health and health care by promoting the science of outcomes measurement, and the development, evaluation and distribution of standardized, high quality instruments that measure health and the outcomes of medical care.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) www.cdc.gov/nchs
The Nation’s principal health statistics agency, NCHS compiles statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of our people.
NCHS Publications and Information Products cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/
pubd/series/ser.htm
Reports and publications of NCHS.
NCHS Surveys and Data Collection Systems www.cdc.gov/nchs/express.htm
Some NCHS data systems and surveys are ongoing annual systems while others are conducted periodically. NCHS has two major types of data systems: systems based on populations, containing data collected through personal interviews or examinations; and systems based on records, containing data collected from vital and medical records.
National Committee for Quality Assurance www.ncqa.org
A private non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality everywhere.
National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment www.ncchta.org
A national program of research established by the National Health Service (UK) Department of Health's research and development program to ensure that high quality research information on the costs, effectiveness and broader impact of health technologies is produced in the most effective way for those who use, manage, and provide care in the National Health Service (UK).
National Guideline Clearinghouse www.guideline.gov
A comprehensive database of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related documents produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP).
National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/nichsr.html
Works with AHRQ to improve the dissemination of the results of health services research, with special emphasis on the growing body of evidence reports and technology assessments which provide organizations with comprehensive, science-based information on common, costly medical conditions and new health care technologies.
National Institute for Clinical Excellence www.nice.org.uk
Part of the National Health Service (NHS, United Kingdom. The role of NICE is to provide patients, health professionals and the public with authoritative, robust and reliable guidance on current "best practice".
NLM Gateway gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd
Allows users to search National Library of Medicine retrieval systems (MEDLINE/PubMed, LOCATORplus, MEDLINEplus, ClinicalTrials.gov, DIRLINE, Meeting Abstracts, and HSRProj).
National Patient Safety Foundation www.npsf.org
An organization dedicated to improving patient safety. Web site includes access to NPSF publications, as well as an extensive bibliography (with links where available) of publications addressing patient safety.
National Quality Forum www.qualityforum.org
A private, not-for-profit membership organization created to develop and implement a national strategy for healthcare quality measurement and reporting.
National Quality Measures Clearinghouse www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov
A database and Web site for information on specific evidence-based health care quality measures and measure sets. NQMC is sponsored by AHRQ to promote widespread access to quality measures by the health care community and other interested individuals.
NCI Cancer Control and Population Sciences - Outcomes Research outcomes.cancer.gov
The outcomes research branch of the National Cancer Institute. Coordinates and sponsors research to measure, evaluate, and improve the outcomes of cancer care.
New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Report www.nyam.org/library/greyreport.shtml
Links to NYAM's Grey Literature Report, a quarterly publication alerting readers to new grey literature publications as they are acquired, and to web pages of many of the organizations and agencies producing grey literature in the fields of health policy and public health.
Ohio State University, Center for HOPES (Health Outcomes, Policy, and Evaluation Studies) http://sph.osu.edu/hopes/
Brings together researchers from across disciplines who are interested in understanding and improving health and health care. This website details the Center's current activities.
Online Guide to Quality of Life Assessment (OLGA) www.olga-qol.com
A comprehensive source of information about questionnaires, rating scales and other tools for assessing psychosocial effectiveness in clinical and pharmacoeconomic studies.
Partnership for Prevention www.prevent.org
An organization dedicated to preventing disease and promoting health. Services include: educational briefings, policy research, and forums for governments and private organizations to forge agendas.
Quality Health Care www.qualityhealthcare.org/qhc
QualityHealthCare.org is a global knowledge environment created to help health care professionals around the world accelerate their progress toward unprecedented levels of performance and improvement.
QualityMetric, Incorporated www.qualitymetric.com
QualityMetric was founded by John Ware to transfer health outcomes assessment technology from the scientific community to the health care industry and to work with key stakeholders to develop the most appropriate business model for widespread adoption of standards and for the much-needed rapid advancement in technology.
RAND Corporation www.rand.org
A nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis and effective solutions that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors around the world.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation www.rwjf.org/index.jsp
Seeks to improve the health and health care of all Americans by assuring that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; improving the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; promoting healthy communities and lifestyles; and reducing the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse.
SF-36 (36-Item Short Form) www.sf-36.org
The SF-36 Health Survey was developed for the Medical Outcomes Study, and has been tested and validated extensively.
UK Clearinghouse on Health Outcomes leeds.ac.uk/nuffield/infoservices/
UKCH/home.html
Funded by the NHS Management Executive, the Scottish Home and Health Department, the Welsh Office and the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services, it was set up to provide information and advice to the UK NHS on outcome measures and outcome measurement.
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Program on Health Outcomes, Helpful Links sph.unc.edu/health-outcomes/links.htm
Includes links to many health-sites, including several that deal directly with quality of care and health outcomes.
University of Pennsylvania, Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research www.nursing.upenn.edu/chopr
Within the School of Nursing, the Center draws together faculty from nursing, sociology, demography, medicine, management, economics, and other related disciplines. It is a research and research training enterprise focusing on the outcomes of health care and health workforce policy. With collaborators from around the world, researchers study health system reorganization and policy changes and aim to produce evidence to improve the quality of health care.
Vermont Program
for Quality in
Health Care, Inc. www.vpqhc.org
NonProfit organization working to develop and implement a system of quality design and measurement for physicians, and other health care professionals, hospitals, and other health care facilities, users and purchasers that produces continuous improvement of health care and efficient uses of resources.
WHO-CHOICE
(World Health Organization - Choosing Interventions that are Cost Effective) www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm?
path=whosis,cea&language=english
An ongoing World Health Organization project that aims to assemble regional databases on the costs, impact on population health and cost-effectiveness of key health interventions.
WHO Health Systems Performance - Outcomes Measurement www.who.int/health-systems-
performance/outcomesmeasurement.htm
Links to World Health Organization publications focused on outcomes measurement.
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Web site. “Outcomes Research Fact Sheet.” www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/outfact.htm. Accessed May 2004.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Center for Shared Decision Making Web site. www.hitchcock.org/dhmc/webpage.cfm?org_id=108. Accessed May 2004.
Foundation for Health Services Research. “Health Outcomes Research: A Primer.” Foundation for Health Services Research, 1994, p. 2. Also see
www.academyhealth.org/publications/healthoutcomes.pdf. Accessed May 2004.
Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making Web site. www.fimdm.org. Accessed May 2004.
Iezzoni, Lisa I. 1997. Risk Adjustment for Measuring Healthcare Outcomes. Academy for Health Services Research. Health Administration Press: Chicago.
RAND Web site. RAND Health Insurance Experiment page. www.rand.org/health/hiedescription.html. Accessed May 2004.
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1 Costs noted are for new, hardcover editions. In many instances, books listed on this list can be purchased in paperback, or in a used format, for a lower price.
2 Data gathered from this analysis were used as a supporting mechanism to separate journals into the core and desired lists.
Core Health Policy Library Recommendations, 2000
by Naomi R. Adelman, M.L.S.
for Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy
funded by National Library of Medicine
Journals
• American Journal of Public Health, http://www.ajph.org/
• Health Affairs, http://www.healthaffairs.org/home.htm
• Health Care Financing Review, http://cms.hhs.gov/default.asp?fromhcfadotgov=true"
• Health Care Management Review, http://www.aspenpublishers.com/Product.asp?catalog%5Fname=Aspen&category%5Fname=&product%5Fid=SS03616274&Mode=SEARCH&ProductType=J#Description
• Health Economics, http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/1057-9230/
• Health Policy, http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505962/description#description
• Health Policy and Planning, http://heapol.oupjournals.org
• HSR Health Services Research, http://www.hret.org/hret/publications/hsr.html
• Inquiry, http://www.inquiryjournal.org
• International Journal of Health Services, http://www.baywood.com/journals/previewjournals.asp?id=0020-7314
• JAMA, http://jama.ama-assn.org/
• The Joint Commission Journal on Quality Improvement, http://www.jcrinc.com/subscribers/publications.asp?durki=463
• Journal of Health Economics, http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505560/description#description
• Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_health_politics_policy_and_law/
• Journal of Public Health Policy, http://www.members.aol.com/jphpterris/jphp.htm
• Medical Care, http://www.medicalcare.org/.htm
• Medical Care Research and Review, http://www.sagepub.com
• The Milbank Quarterly, http://www.milbank.org/quarterly.html
• The New England Journal of Medicine, http://http://content.nejm.org/
• Social Science and Medicine, http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description
Online Notification Services
• American Health Line, http://www.americanhealthline.com/
• Electronic Policy Network (Idea Central: Health Policy), http://www.movingideas.org/
• Medscape (Medscape eMed journals), http://www.medscape.com
Organizations (non-government)
• AARP, http://research.aarp.org/health/index.html
• Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy, http://www.ahsrhp.org
• American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, http://www.aei.org
• American Public Health Association, http://www.apha.org
• The Brookings Institution, http://www.brookings.org
• Center for Studying Health System Change, http://www.hschange.com
• The Commonwealth Fund, http://www.cmwf.org/
• Employee Benefit Research Institute, http://www.ebri.org
• FamiliesUSA, http://www.familiesusa.org
• Grantmakers In Health, http://www.gih.org
• The Heritage Foundation, http://www.heritage.org
• Institute of Medicine, http://www.iom.edu/
• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, http://www.jcaho.org
• Kaiser Family Foundation, http://www.kff.org
• Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., http://www.mathematica-mpr.com
• The Milbank Memorial Fund, http://www.milbank.org/home.html
• National Committee for Quality Assurance, http://www.ncqa.org
• National Conference of State Legislatures, http://www.ncsl.org
• National Governors' Association, http://www.nga.org
• National Health Policy Forum, http://www.nhpf.org
• Rand, http://www.rand.org
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, http://www.rwjf.org
• Society for Medical Decision Making, http://www.smdm.org/
• The Urban Institute, http://www.urban.org
• World Health Organization, http://www.who.int
Government Agencies
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, http:www.ahrq.gov
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly Health Care Financing Administration), http://www.cms.gov
• Commerce Department (US) Economic Analysis, http://www.commerce.gov/economic_analysis.html
• Congressional Budget Office, http://www.cbo.gov
• Department of Health & Human Services (US), http://www.dhhs.gov
• Department of Labor (US), http://www.dol.gov
• General Accounting Office (US), http://www.gao.gov/main.html
• Government Printing Office (US), http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html
• Health Resources and Services Administration (US), http://www.hrsa.gov
• Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov
• Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, http://www.medpac.gov
• National Center for Health Statistics, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
• National Institutes of Health, http://www.nih.gov
• National Library of Medicine, http://www.nlm.nih.gov
• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (DHHS), http://aspe.hhs.gov
• Office of Inspector General (DHHS), http://www.hhs.gov/progprg/oig
• Office of Management and Budget, http://www.whitehouse.gov/OMB
• United States House of Representatives, http://www.house.gov
• United States Senate, http://www.senate.gov
Books
Altman, S. H. & Reinhardt, U. E. (Eds.). (1996). Strategic choices for a changing health care system. Chicago: Health Administration Press.
Blank, R. H. & Bonnicksen, A. L. (Eds.). (1992). Emerging issues in biomedical policy: An annual review. Volume 1. New York: Columbia University Press.
Feldman, R.D. & Pauly, M. V. (Eds.). (2000). American health care: Government, market processes, and the public interest. Somerset, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
Feldstein, P. J. (1996). The politics of health legislation: An economic perspective (2nd ed.). Chicago: Health Administration Press.
Fuchs, V. R. (1994). The future of health policy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Garber, A. M. (Ed.). (2000). Frontiers in health policy research (3rd ed.). Cambridge: MIT Press.
Ginzburg, E. (Ed.). (1991). Health services research; Key to health policy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Lee, P. R. & Estes, C. L. (Eds.). (2000). The nation's health (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Marmor, T. R. (2000). The politics of medicare (2nd ed.). New York: Aldine De Gruyter.
Rover, J. (1999). Health care policy and politics A to Z (CQ's ready reference encyclopedia of American government). Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly Books.
Shortell, S. M., Gillies, R. R. & Anderson, D. A. (2000). Remaking health care in America (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Shortell, S. M. & Reinhardt, U. E. (Eds.). (1992). Improving health policy and management: Nine critical issues for the 1990s. Ann Arbor: Health Administration Press.
Starr, P. (1982). The social transformation of American medicine. New York: Basic Books
Plus titles from the Delmar Series in Health Services Administration. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, including:
Feldstein, P. J. (1999). Health care economics (5th ed.).
Litman, T. J. & Robins, L.S. (Eds.). (1997). Health politics and policy (3rd ed.). [wait for new edition]
Shortell, S. M. & Kaluzny, A. D. (Eds.). (2000). Health care management: Organization, design and behavior (4th ed.).
And titles from the RWJF Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research , including:
Millenson, M. L. (1997). Demanding medical excellence: Doctors and accountability in the information age.
Robinson, J. C. (1999). The corporate practice of medicine: Competition and innovation in health care.
Publishers and Distributors
• Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com
• Brookings Institution Press, http://www.brookings.edu/press/bookstore.htm
• Delmar Publishers, http://www.delmar.com
• Health Administration Presshttp://www.ache.org
• National Academy Press, http://www.nap.edu
• Robert Wood Johnson Investigator Awards in Health Policy Research, http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/npo.jsp?FUND_ID=55110
• Urban Institute Press, http://www.uipress.org/