Posted by Kromey at 9:08pm Mar 8 '10how many people realize that that story is almost 6 years old?
The most recent study (5 years later), which includes 11 countries, seems to have a small sample size (average 1100 per country???), however interestingly this survey interviewed primary care physicians, as opposed to the 6-year-old survey that interviewed patients.
In addition to the bolded point above (which seems to directly refute the almost-6-year-old stat Four unearthed), I have to bring attention to the electronic medical records point - wasn't shifting the US's medical industry to standardized electronic medical records poo-pooed in another thread? And yet here it is being cited as a point against us...
The most recent study (5 years later), which includes 11 countries, seems to have a small sample size (average 1100 per country???), however interestingly this survey interviewed primary care physicians, as opposed to the 6-year-old survey that interviewed patients.
* More than half (58%) of U.S. physicians--by far the most of any country surveyed--said their patients often have difficulty paying for medications and care. Half of U.S. doctors spend substantial time dealing with the restrictions insurance companies place on patients' care.
* Only 29 percent of U.S. physicians said their practice had arrangements for getting patients after-hours care--so they could avoid visiting a hospital emergency room. Nearly all Dutch, New Zealand, and U.K. doctors said their practices had arrangements for after-hours care.
* Only 46 percent of U.S. doctors use electronic medical records, compared with over 90 percent of doctors in Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
* Twenty-eight percent of U.S. physicians reported their patients often face long waits to see a specialist, one of the lowest rates in the survey. Three-quarters of Canadian and Italian physicians reported long waits. [Emphasis added]
* While all the countries surveyed use financial incentives to improve the quality of care, primary care physicians in the U.S. are among the least likely to be offered such rewards; only one-third reported receiving financial incentives. Rates were also low in Sweden (10%) and Norway (35%), compared with large majorities of doctors in the U.K. (89%), the Netherlands (81%), New Zealand (80%), Italy (70%), and Australia (65%).
* Patients with chronic illness require substantial time with physicians, education about their illness, and coaching about treatment, diet, and medication regimens. Care teams composed of clinicians and nurses have been shown to be effective in providing care to people with chronic conditions and in improving outcomes. The use of such teams is widespread in Sweden (98%), the U.K. (98%), the Netherlands (91%), Australia (88%), New Zealand (88%), Germany (73%), and Norway (73%). It is less prevalent in the U.S. (59%) and Canada (52%), with France (11%) standing out on the low end.
In addition to the bolded point above (which seems to directly refute the almost-6-year-old stat Four unearthed), I have to bring attention to the electronic medical records point - wasn't shifting the US's medical industry to standardized electronic medical records poo-pooed in another thread? And yet here it is being cited as a point against us...
The advanced health information technology and extensive use of quality incentives and care teams reported by Australian, Dutch, and New Zealand doctors reflect national payment and information system policies focused on primary care. Lacking such policies, the U.S. lags far behind its peers in these areas--even as it spends far more on health care overall. In addition, insurance coverage restrictions make it difficult for many U.S. physicians to provide their patients with timely access to care. [Emphasis added]Yet again we come face-to-face with insurance being a cause of the problem, not a solution - but of course mandating insurance coverage is the answer!!
I wonder - Kromey