The changing role of the hospital in European health systems

Hospitals today face a huge number of challenges, including new patterns of disease, rapidly evolving medical technologies, ageing populations and continuing budget constraints. This book is written by clinicians for clinicians and hospital managers, and those who design and operate hospitals. It sets out why hospitals need to change as the patients they treat and the technology to treat them changes. In a series of chapters by leading authorities in their field, it challenges existing models, reviews best practice from many countries and presents clear policy recommendations for policymakers and hospital administrators. It covers the main patient groups and conditions as well as those departments that make modern effective care possible, in imaging and laboratory medicine. Each chapter looks at patient pathways, aspects of workforce, required levels of specialisation and technology, and the opportunities and challenges for optimising the delivery of services in the hospital of the future. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

• Part I: 1. Introduction: The changing nature of care provided in the hospital Martin McKee, Sherry Merkur, Nigel Edwards and Ellen Nolte
• 2. The challenges of adapting hospital care for children Jochen Ehrich, Massimo Pettoello-Mantovan, Eleanor Molloy, Reinhold Kerbl, Mehmet Vural, Simon Lenton, Stefano del Torso, Adamos Hadjipanayis, Bjoern Wettergren and Zachi Grossman
• 3. Patients with stroke Benjamin Bray, Anthony Rudd, Phil White, Bo Norrving and Charles Wolfe
• 4. Meeting the needs of frail older patients Sherena Nair, David Oliver and Alison Cracknell
• 5. Oncological hospital care Anke Wind, Wim van Harten, Sigbjorn Smeland, Lucia da Pieve and Wim Groen
• Part II: 6. COPD as an exemplar of a chronic health condition C. Michael Roberts, Jose Luis Lopez-Campos and Robab Breyer-Kohansal
• 7. Emergency medicine Matthew Cooke, Clifford Mann and Nigel Edwards
• 8. Advances in perioperative medicine Marc Wittenberg, Harry Thirkettle and Michael Grocott
• 9. Advances in imaging Peter Cavanagh
• 10. Advances in laboratory medicine Rachael Liebmann and Digby Ingle
• 11. Conclusions: Challenges for hospitals of the future Martin McKee, Sherry Merkur, Nigel Edwards and Ellen Nolte.