US Ranks LAST on preventable deaths among industrialized nations...

[cynatnite]

ScienceDaily (Jan. 8, 2008) — The United States places last among 19 countries when it comes to deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective health care, according to new research. While other nations dramatically improved these rates between 1997--98 and 2002--03, the U.S. improved only slightly.

If the U.S. had performed as well as the top three countries out of the19 industrialized countries in the study there would have been 101,000 fewer deaths in the U.S. per year by the end of the study period. The top performers were France, Japan, and Australia.

In "Measuring the Health of Nations: Updating an Earlier Analysis," Ellen Nolte and Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine compare trends in deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective health care. Specifically, they looked at deaths "amenable to health care before age 75 between 1997--98 and 2002--03."

Nolte and McKee found that while other countries made strides and saw these types of deaths decline by an average of 16%, the U.S. experienced only a 4% decline. "It is notable that all countries have improved substantially except the U.S.," said Nolte, lead author of the study. The authors also note that "it is difficult to disregard the observation that the slow decline in U.S. amenable mortality has coincided with an increase in the uninsured population, an issue that is now receiving renewed attention in several states and among presidential candidates from both parties."

"It is startling to see the U.S. falling even farther behind on this crucial indicator of health system performance," said Commonwealth Fund Senior Vice President Cathy Schoen. "By focusing on deaths amenable to health care, Nolte and McKee strip out factors such as population and lifestyle differences that are often cited in response to international comparisons showing the U.S. lagging in health outcomes. The fact that other countries are reducing these preventable deaths more rapidly, yet spending far less, indicates that policy, goals, and efforts to improve health systems make a difference."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080108082944.htm

[Webster Green]

1. Repukes: "The US has the best health care in the world"

In face of all the evidence to the contrary, they just make stuff up.

[cynatnite]

2. We should make sure the candidates get this...

no matter who is the nominee this would be a good one to use the next time they try to gush about our pathetic health care.

[NewJeffCT]

8. we never challenge them on it

and, the media never does, either.

[DiamondJay]

3. don't forget population...

while I believe we have the best health CARE, the undeniable fact is our system is horrendous, and it is part responsible for this. But lets also forget that compared to each individual nation in western Europe and the Americas, we have a huge population, so naturally the number will be higher. Also, because of high population we have a higher variety of living circumstances in which many impoverished live

[cynatnite]

4. No, we don't...

our health care sucks. Health insurance industry makes decisions regarding health care rather than the doctors, we take lousy care of ourselves, and there is next to no preventative care for most folks. They can't afford the copays, they can't afford to take time off from work and other reasons why they don't get preventative care.

While I do believe population plays a role, I don't believe it's a huge factor.

[DiamondJay]

5. i mean quality of doctors, hospitals

[NewJeffCT]

9. we have a lot of good doctors & hospitals

however, we also have a lot of mediocre doctors and hospitals... and, our health care delivery system is certainly the worst of any in the industrialized world and we leave 47 million uninsured and 10s of millions more underinsured.

It's not a measure of our population, as those statistics are quoting percentages per 100,000.

[flashl]

7. BEST care that admits racial disparities?

Racial disparities persist in U.S. cancer treatment

Medical journal reports goes back to 1985 with disparity in quality of care results and not the ability to pay. If the ability to pay was an issue, why are same results showing up in veteran care?

[LynnTheDem]

10. It's called "per capita".

Population differences are taken into account already.

We are last in many, many areas.

[cynatnite]

6. Kicking n/t