Economics Commons^™

The Politics Of Medicine: Power, Actors, And Ideas In The Making Of Health, Claire Wulf Winiarek

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The practice of medicine has become the prescribing of medicine. Reflecting a construct of health defined by Rationalism, individualism, and biomedical science, medicines (pharmaceuticals) are politically constructed to be the first – and sometimes only prescribed – line of defense against illness and disease. Pharmaceuticals also represent a highly desirable, ‘recession-proof’ component of many Nation-states’ (states’) export strategies, helping advanced economies, in particular, to maintain favorable trade balances and economic growth amidst the headwinds of deindustrialization.

Higher use and the overreliance on pharmaceuticals promote an outsized role for certain actors and ideas in the making of global health, referring to …

Modeling Solutions For Prevention Of Medicare Insolvency For The Baby Boomer Generation (Born 1946 - 1964), Gregory Thomas Scott

Health Services Research Dissertations

Medicare, a United States social insurance program operated by the United States federal government, began operating in a deficit in the year 2010. More funding was expended than revenue received for medical care, creating significant shortfalls for the Medicare Trust Fund. This study examined possible initiatives to describe Medicare funding related to issues as financial shortfalls utilizing mathematical modeling and simulation. The Park Conceptual Model is a framework created to identify internal and external changes that influence bankruptcies related to municipalities, and this Model served as the theoretical basis for this study.

The following study addressed insolvency as negative cash …

Securing South Africa's Future Grandmothers Against Poverty And Aids As A Model For Social Development Change, Savannah Lynn Eck

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Focusing on the role of elder women in South Africa as a lens to understand the central connections among HIV/ AIDS, poverty and Human Security provides a distinct approach to analyze women's contributions to community development and social change. Drawing from the theories of Gender and Development and Human Security, this research aims to highlight HIV/ AIDS as a social and political security issue, while underscoring the vitality of the inclusion of women in the processes of peace building, reconciliation, education and social development. Furthermore, the influential role of elder women in South Africa will serve as a model in …

The Politics And Economics Of Health: A Cross-National Comparison Of Civic Engagement And Health Status, Suzanne J. Wood

School of Public Service Theses & Dissertations

Over the past two decades, various structural modifications associated with the provision of national health and its systems have been undertaken. The preponderance of liberalization experiences have occurred in the absence of epidemiological, political, or social considerations associated with adoption and implementation. Often, financial and political manipulation by international organizations and powerful foreign governments has served as the impetus for fundamental shifts leading to an asymmetrical distribution of resources by population density, geography, and along various socio-cultural boundaries. Consequently, structural adjustments have resulted in unpredictable and divergent outcomes with regard to health status. The question of whether or not health …

Measurement Of Hospital Performance: Environmental And Organizational Factors Associated With Cost, Debra Kay Dierksmeier Anderson

Health Services Research Dissertations

As U.S. health care expenditures top the $1 trillion mark, there is increased interest in measuring the performance of health care providers. For bottom line oriented payors such as government and business, the focus is on measuring cost. As hospitals account for over one-third of health care expenses, hospital cost per admission is a common measure of performance.

Many environmental and organizational factors come into play in determining hospital cost per admission. This research examines several of these factors, using Raymond Zammuto's model of organizational effectiveness assessment. Using Zammuto's framework, this research looks at the relationship of social, physical, and …