The U.S. has spends more on healthcare than any high-income country, yet Americans have poor health outcomes and a worsening life expectancy when compared with other countries, according to a report from the The Commonwealth Fund.
For the study, The Commonwealth Fund assessed the healthcare systems of 11 countries, including the U.S., based on these five areas: care process, access, administrative efficiency, equity and healthcare outcomes. Data was collected using international surveys of public and physicians, from 2015-2017.
Here are the three things to know:
1. The U.S. ranked last place among the 11 countries for health outcomes, equity and quality, despite having the highest per capita health earnings.
2. The U.S. also had the highest rate of mortality amenable to healthcare, meaning more Americans die from poor care quality than any other country involved in the study.
3. Poor access to primary care in the U.S. has contributed to inadequate chronic disease prevention and management, delayed diagnoses and safety concerns, among other issues.
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