Here are some interesting facts from an interesting article I read in the Science Daily on the US Health Care System:
* U.S. spends more than double what other countries spend for medical care–$6,697 per capita in 2005
* U.S. patients are more likely to report experiencing medical errors
* The study, published recently in the journal Health Affairs, finds that U.S. adults also have the highest out-of-pocket costs and greatest problems paying medical bills.
* U.S. adults are most likely to have gone without care because of high out-of-pocket costs.
Source: Commonwealth Fund (2007, November 4). One-third Of US Adults Call For Completely Rebuilding Health Care System. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 2, 2007, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/11/071101084956.htm
Considering all the efforts put by various health care organizations including (HITSP,ASTM,CCHIT) I believe that these numbers will change and there will be a positive upward moving trend in the health care industry.
Nainil Chheda,MS is the Knowledge Research Specialist at eClinicalWorks LLC, Member of ASTM, AMIA, AIIM, PDF/H, EHRVA, HITSP, AIS and ACM, and a practicing researcher on Healthcare Informatics.
