U.S. health care mediocre across the board

[painterswife]

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/11842861/n.../#.Ud6lI0G1FaY

“It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, white or black, insured or uninsured,” said chief author Dr. Steven Asch, at the Rand Health research institute, in Santa Monica, Calif. “We all get equally mediocre care.”

[painterswife]

The United States is falling behind its economic peers in most measures of health, despite making gains in the past two decades, according to a sweeping study of data from 34 countries.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...#ixzz2YjuswUDt

[plowjockey]

Now we know why there is no cure for cancer.

Medical academia Is exhausting all of its resources, To fund studies on how healthcare in America in second Rate compared to everybody else. 0

[arabian knight]

Ya really if we were sliding into what that one sided article said, why would we get people from ÅLL over the world come HERE to get treated at Mayo Clinic?
They do it because we have the best health facilities in the world. Thats why. And then the article is from 7 Years Ago.~! Makes me laugh once more.

[MO_cows]

It used to be called, "the art of practicing medicine". Today, we have the "health care industry". Bigger and bigger outfits with less and less of the human touch and far less common sense.

I don't feel nearly as well known and well cared for by my doctor today than the "family doctor" we all saw when I was a kid. When it takes 3 appointments and the use of a hospital surgery suite to remove a small cyst (3 stitches); versus back in the day good ol' Dr. Lipman would have taken it out in his clinic on the first appointment. Saving time and money for everyone involved and keeping that surgeon and surgery suite available for the ones who truly need it.

I didn't read the article, but I do believe we pay more and get less than we used to.

[Paumon]

Basically what both of those articles are saying is that health experts blame the overall mediocre care on an overburdened, fragmented system that fails to keep close track of patients with an increasing number of multiple conditions.

I think it's inevitable that it would be overburdened, and with good reason. When comparing USA with its other peer countries I wonder if perhaps those health experts are forgetting to take USA's exceptionally high population into consideration. USA is the third highest populated country in the world and the first highest populated developed country in the world. Even with the very best trained medical practitioners I don't see how the health care system could function at highest peak expectations when there are so many people that can't all be kept close track of and doctors patient loads have doubled and tripled in the past few decades.

[Hollowdweller]

Not suprising.

A co worker and I were laughing over some doctors notes we received today.

In the History part of the doctors notes it says she denies dizziness seizures and convusions and says she is not at risk for falling but the doctor is treating her for epilepsy

[Bearfootfarm]

Originally Posted by Paumon

Basically what both of those articles are saying is that health experts blame the overall mediocre care on an overburdened, fragmented system that fails to keep close track of patients with an increasing number of multiple conditions.

I think it's inevitable that it would be overburdened, and with good reason. When comparing USA with its other peer countries I wonder if perhaps those health experts are forgetting to take USA's exceptionally high population into consideration.

USA is the third highest populated country in the world and the first highest populated developed country in the world. Even with the very best trained medical practitioners I don't see how the health care system could function at highest peak expectations when there are so many people that can't all be kept close track of and doctors patient loads have doubled and tripled in the past few decades.

Realistically, there can be no fair "comparisons" to other countries, since they are all unique.

Many of the "countries" in the listing have fewer people than some of our larger CITIES.
That hardly makes them our "peers"

Some just like to bash the US at every opportunity, even if they have to make things up

[Paumon]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

Realistically, there can be no fair "comparisons" to other countries, since they are all unique.

Many of the "countries" in the listing have fewer people than some of our larger CITIES.
That hardly makes them our "peers"

Some just like to bash the US at every opportunity, even if they have to make things up

I agree with most of what you said. However, I don't really think the researchers or the writers of the articles were trying to bash the USA. Also, as far as peers are concerned those articles are referring to countries that are all first world countries which are basically as developed as USA is, or in some instances even more developed with regard to quality of life, and that first world development does make them all peers.

I think the really big discrepancy is population and probably the numbers of medical practitioners per capita. Canada is much worse off than USA in that regard. Despite having 1/10th the population and an acknowledged overall better quality of life, Canada is severely lacking in medical practitioners needed per capita. I don't know what the practitioners per capita is in those other countries.

[JeffreyD]

Originally Posted by Paumon

I agree with most of what you said. However, I don't really think the researchers or the writers of the articles were trying to bash the USA. Also, as far as peers are concerned those articles are referring to countries that are all first world countries which are basically as developed as USA is, or in some instances even more developed with regard to quality of life, and that first world development does make them all peers.

I think the really big discrepancy is population and probably the numbers of medical practitioners per capita. Canada is much worse off than USA in that regard. Despite having 1/10th the population and an acknowledged overall better quality of life, Canada is severely lacking in medical practitioners needed per capita. I don't know what the practitioners per capita is in those other countries.

My doctor came from Canada because he didn't like your system, he liked ours better. Now that Obamacare is here, he is retiring. That sucks cause he's awesome!

[Nevada]

Originally Posted by arabian knight

why would we get people from ÅLL over the world come HERE to get treated at Mayo Clinic?

I wouldn't know. I've never been there.

[plowjockey]

Just goes to show what happens when we let the media do our thinking for us.

LOL
U.S. health care mediocre across the board

The survey of nearly 7,000 patients, reported Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, considered only urban-area dwellers who sought treatment, but it still challenged some stereotypes: These blacks and Hispanics actually got slightly better medical treatment than whites.

They examined medical records and phone interviews from 6,712 randomly picked patients who visited a medical office within a two-year period in 12 metropolitan areas from Boston to Miami to Seattle. The group was not nationally representative but does convey a broad picture of the country’s health care practices.

Blacks and Hispanics as a group each got 58 percent of the best care, compared to 54 percent for whites. Those with annual household income over $50,000 got 57 percent, 4 points more than people from households of less than $15,000. Patients without insurance got 54 percent of recommended steps, just one point less than those with managed care.

What "metropolitan areas"? Detroit? Atlanta? Philadelphia? LA?

Broad picture?

Are these hosptials and medical facilities, even indicative, the the types of newer, more advanced and better funded, medical facilities and services, found elsewhere across suburban and rural America? I sincerely doubt it.

What about race? Isn't the population balance of White, Black, Latino, Asian, in "urban areas", a tad bit different, than most every else, in America?

Same as with income, in "metropolitan areas"

Just another ridiculous, skewed "survey", to waste money and create more "news", for the masses to lap up.

[Paumon]

Originally Posted by arabian knight

Ya really if we were sliding into what that one sided article said, why would we get people from ALL over the world come HERE to get treated at Mayo Clinic?

Because Mayo is the only clinic of its kind. This is why people from around the world go to Mayo: http://health.usnews.com/best-hospit...O/for-patients

[Paumon]

Originally Posted by JeffreyD

My doctor came from Canada because he didn't like your system, he liked ours better. Now that Obamacare is here, he is retiring. That sucks cause he's awesome!

The only difference in the health care systems of both countries is the money. America pays more. My doctor came from California because he likes the lifestyle here, even though he knew he'd be getting less money if he moved to Canada or to any other country. Lots of graduate doctors from Canada and other countries will immigrate to America if they can be accepted because doctors in America get more money than anywhere else in the world. So if your doctor is going to be getting less money with Obamacare I can understand why he'd decide to retire now if money was what motivated him to move there. He can probably afford to retire now anyway. Maybe he'll move to another less expensive country now where he can get more bang for his buck and enjoy his retirement years on the cheap.

One thing is for sure, he won't be coming back to Canada if money is important to him.

[Pearl B]

I dont listen to studies. They are always trying change peoples habits, or set public opinion.
remember when it was just horrible to eat eggs? Or drink wine?

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by Paumon

Because Mayo is the only clinic of its kind. This is why people from around the world go to Mayo: http://health.usnews.com/best-hospit...O/for-patients

And with all the satellites Hospitals and clinics that are now affiliated with Mayo, there are in AZ, and some in Florida a bunch in WI. ( I go to one Mayo Affiliated Clinic not 8 miles from my home a clinic, and I am 18 miles away from a Hospital now that is part of the Mayo Health Systems ) and in MN there are many satellite clinics, besides the main clinic in Rochester.

[JeffreyD]

Originally Posted by Paumon

The only difference in the health care systems of both countries is the money. America pays more. My doctor came from California because he likes the lifestyle here, even though he knew he'd be getting less money if he moved to Canada or to any other country. Lots of graduate doctors from Canada and other countries will immigrate to America if they can be accepted because doctors in America get more money than anywhere else in the world. So if your doctor is going to be getting less money with Obamacare I can understand why he'd decide to retire now if money was what motivated him to move there. He can probably afford to retire now anyway. Maybe he'll move to another less expensive country now where he can get more bang for his buck and enjoy his retirement years on the cheap.

One thing is for sure, he won't be coming back to Canada if money is important to him.

No, the money was not important. Being able to get his patients the care they need in a timely fashon, that was important! I don't believe folks become doctors in Canada for the money. He didn't. He just didn't like the waits your system imposed! He doesn't want to stop, he just doesn't want all the bs paper work and being told how to do his job. I changed to a doctor in 1982. He was chief of surgery at a popular hospital in Los Angeles. He retired to take care of old folks for free and did so until he died. He found a replacement from Canada, he didn't feel that American doctors would treat his patients the way he did, take time and talk with them, so he turned his practice over to Dr. K, who has been our family doctor ever since. He is at the hospital 7 days a week, practice 5 days. He loves it, at least he used to. He's awesome. I believe I will miss him.