Among notable issues in health care policy and practice over the past 50 years have been those centred on the changing dynamics in clinical encounters, predominantly the relationship between physicians and patients and access to health care. Patient roles have become more active, diverse, long-term, and risk-based, while patient–provider relationships are multifaceted, less paternalistic, and more pivotal to health outcomes. Extensive literatures on help-seeking show how much social influences affect both undertreatment and inappropriate high utilization of health care. The challenge in trying to contain the growth of health care costs is two-fold: developing better ways of defining need for care and promoting better access for those who could benefit most from health care. The rising costs and inconsistent quality of health care have raised significant questions among professionals, policy makers, and the public about the way health services are being delivered. This new book provides lecturers and students with a well informed, penetrating analysis of the key questions in medicine and society.