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HOW DOES U.S. HEALTH CARE COMPARE?
The eighth annual survey looking at health care in different countries
has just been published in the journal, HEALTH AFFAIRS. This survey is
done by the Commonwealth Fund, a private, nonpartisan, and nonprofit
foundation, and is the largest survey to look at health care in multiple countries at the same time.
Here are some of the findings:
- Americans had easier access to specialists than patients in the other
countries surveyed: New Zealand; Australia; Germany; Canada; and
Britain.
- Americans were the most likely to not fill a prescription, see a doctor
when sick, or get recommended followup tests. The reason for this was
cost, compared to the other five countries.
- Americans have more coordination problems with their health care than
patients in these other countries.
- Americans also reported the greatest number of medical errors.
The Agency for Health Care Quality and Research has announced a number
of initiatives to improve health care in the U.S., using the findings
from this study as a starting point.
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