The notion of controlling performance in modern healthcare constitutes a key justification for implementing large IT systems. By examining the relationship between healthcare performance and IS cost we significantly improve our understanding of healthcare delivery profile. In the absence of an appropriate fit between the goals of IS projects and smooth healthcare delivery, this research satisfi...

American healthcare is the most expensive in the world, yet its system still struggles with uneven quality, serious access gaps, and population health indicators that lag behind most of the developed world. Healthcare is becoming increasingly unaffordable for a growing segment of Americans, and if recent spending trends persist, the system could collapse under its own weight. Congressional prop...

Just as the mobile phone allowed developing countries to leapfrog technology in personal communication, the delivery drone has the potential to have the same effect on traditional transportation infrastructure. Inaccessible roads no longer will prevent delivery of blood, medications or other healthcare items. This paper reviews the current status of innovative drone delivery with a particular e...

Background Health literacy presents an enormous challenge in the delivery of effective healthcare and quality outcomes. We evaluated the impact of low health literacy (LHL) on healthcare utilization and healthcare expenditure.   Methods Database analysis used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) from 2005-2008 which provides nationally representative estimates of healthcare utilization and e...

Background: Iran has a high C-section rate (40.6% in 2005). The objective of this study was to assess the associations and population-attributable risks (PAR) of risk factors combinations and C-section in the Southwest Iran. Methods: We performed a population-based cohort study using the reports provided by Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The cohort included pregnant women within Sept...

Introduction: India is the world’s largest democratic country, and second most populous country in the world. Despite recent successes in the economic front, India still faces many social challenges like poverty, illiteracy, sanitation, gender inequality, and lack of healthcare for all. The healthcare disparity is mainly due to shortage of trained health care professionals and lack of necessary...

In this chapter, current practices of healthcare delivery in three economically advanced countries will be reviewed. Is healthcare delivery commensurate with economic prosperity? Countries with technological and economic advantages may be better poised to deliver healthcare efficiently. However, this is not the case in fact. The following review will show that medico-legal and technological pro...

Healthcare delivery, irrespective of the region in the world, is facing the key challenges of escalating costs, an aging population, an increase in a myriad of diagnostic technologies and the rise of chronic diseases which in turn is leading to a more and more preventative focus. In short, the current state of healthcare delivery is not sustainable (OECD, 2012a;2012b; Porter and Guth, 2012; Por...

Background and Introduction: Emigration of healthcare workers from developing countries is on the rise and there is an urgent need for policies that increase access to and continuity of healthcare. In this commentary, we highlight some of the negative impacts of emigration on maternal and child health and discuss whether team-based healthcare delivery could possibly mitigate the shortfall of ma...