[extropy-chat] Health data

[Hughes, James J.]

> > The poor in the US have a better access to medicine than regular 
> > Germans have.
> 
> Hm. Strikes me as unlikely.
> Can you back this up with actual data?

Indeed, there is no evidence for that statement.

For instance in this recent comparative study:

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL:
AN UPDATE ON THE QUALITY OF AMERICAN
HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE PATIENT'S LENS
Karen Davis, Cathy Schoen, Stephen C. Schoenbaum, Anne-Marie J. Audet,
Michelle M. Doty, Alyssa L. Holmgren, and Jennifer L. Kriss
The Commonwealth Fund
April 2006

http://www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/Davis_mirrormirror_915.pdf

Germany outperformed the US in timeliness of care, efficiency of care,
equitable access to care, patient safety and "patient-centeredness." In
fact the US scored worse of the six nations studied (Australia, Canada,
Germany, NZ, UK, USA) on four of the six measures.

OECD studies of waiting times in the US and Germany do not support the
notion that Germans wait longer for care either.

----------------------------------------
James J. Hughes Ph.D.
Lecturer, Public Policy
Williams 229B, Trinity College
300 Summit St.
Hartford CT 06106
860-297-2376
james.hughes at trincoll.edu