Do you know why America needs healthcare for all? Think efficiency of care, among others.
Hi, I'm James Lenhart family doctor, author and publisher of Conversations for Paco: Why America Needs Health Care for All.
Today's conversation leverages the research of the Commonwealth Fund to identify the tension between the efficiency of care and quality of care in the United States. Since 1918 the Commonwealth Fund has promoted improved quality of healthcare by supporting independent research on healthcare issues to improve healthcare practice and policy. Here's what the Commonwealth Fund concludes when it comes to efficiency care in the United States.
According to the Commonwealth fund and I quote: “On indicators of efficiency, the U.S. ranks last among 11 developed countries, with the United Kingdom and Sweden ranking first and second respectively. The U.S .has poor performance on measures of national health expenditures and administrative costs as well as on measures of administrative hassles, avoidable emergency room use, and duplicative medical testing. Survey respondents in the United Kingdom and France are less likely to visit the emergency room for conditions that can be treated by a regular doctor.”
Health outcomes improve when countries support universal coverage and health care for all through increased access to care and efficiency of care. Remember this: the United States places last in overall health rankings compared to other developed nations.
Healthcare is once again a political hot potato in the United States. I urge you to call, write or email your congressional representatives to promote health care for all in the United States – because health is a human necessity, and healthcare is a human right.
Conversations for Paco: Why America Needs Health Care for All.
is available from Amazon in electronic, paperback and hardbound formats. Go to: https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Paco-America-Needs-Healthcare/dp/0615471099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490564760&sr=8-1&keywords=conversations+for+Paco
References:
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally. Online [Available at:] http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2014/jun/mirror-mirror Accessed: May 7, 2017.
