The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The rise of a sovereign profession and the making of a vast industry

April 2, 2010 | By In Health Tips |

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5 Comments so far

  1. Elizabeth Holtsclaw on April 2nd, 2010

    A very accesible read. It easily combined my interest in social history and health care.
    Rating: 5 / 5

  2. Bill Evans on April 3rd, 2010

    delivered in the condition advertised, on time. The book is a treatise on the state of the American medical system (In 1984), and how it got there.
    Rating: 5 / 5

  3. Carol Kasper Winet on April 3rd, 2010

    This outstanding history of the system, or lack of it, of health care delivery in the USA is exceptionally relevant now, 2009, during the health care debates. It’s a long, detailed book, but it’s objective and well-referenced. Although this reflects history up to 1980, many of the forces set in motion during the period covered continue to this day. Some details are fascinating, e.g., the author believed that the best opportunity for national health care came in 1974, in motions proposed by Ted Kennedy but likely to be credited to Nixon who was then enduring the revelations of Watergate. That scandal and the opprobium then attached to Nixon probably can be blamed for the death of that attempt.
    Rating: 5 / 5

  4. Swati Bhatia on April 3rd, 2010

    I highly recommend this book to anyone in the health care industry or anyone interested in the history of American medicine.

    Starr basically explores why/how physicians so powerful politically, socially, and economically. GREAT BOOK!

    Rating: 5 / 5

  5. Jitesh Chawla on April 3rd, 2010

    I came across this book first as part of my academic studies and initially felt it to be purely historical with no basis for current public health implications. But, if you read the text fully and deliberate on the issues present the information presented give you an accurate view of how the current geo-political atmosphere in US healthcare has been shaped to this day. The reader can see how many transformations have taken place. Namely, medicine as an artistic medium not highly regarded to one that is the primodial center of scientific acheivement. Another example is hospitals as refuges for storing the deceased to now institutions of recovery and training for young physicians. Starr divides this book into 2 parts – the rise of sovereign profession and the struggle for medical care. In invidual chapters he highlights the key historical events and intermixes this with insightful commentary where practical implications can be drawn in regards to the profession as it stands today. As a healthcare practitioner who has worked anywhere from managed care to community health centers to the private sector, I feel this book has helped me realize largely why the system is the way it is. I would recommend this to any aspiring healthcare leader who wishes to be effective in his/her organization.
    Rating: 5 / 5

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