Sizing up the Competition

This week's assignment is very seasonal. In the spirit of the Olympic Games (GO USA!!!), I will be blogging about an article comparing the US's health care performance to that of the 29 other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. As I watch Lindsey Vonn ski for the gold I can only hope our health care system competes nearly as well.

Some measures were not too surprising. The United States spends more on health care and pharmaceuticals, per capita, than any other country. The US spends 16% on healthcare whereas the average of the other countries is about half that. Also, the US has the lowest percentage of population of daily smokers. This is a testament to one of the greatest public health achievements of the last fifty years. In the next fifty years I think the other countries listed will improve on this statistic. Unfortunately, I was not surprised to find that the United States has the highest obesity rate of any of the countries. I think that this public health challenge will be integral in improving US health in the next 50 years.

I was surprised to find that the United States is well below average in doctor consultations per capita. This is especially surprising given the amount of money Americans spend on healthcare. I was also surprised to find that the United States is below average in the number of practicing physicians per 1,000 population. Usually, news reports highlight the shortage of primary care doctors and excess specialists. I was not aware that there is an overall shortage of US doctors.

Two of these measures will have a tremendous impact on the future of American public health. One is the fact that the United States spends the most per capita on health care but the least percentage of government funds. This system is unsustainable and does not lead to health outcomes better than those of other countries that spend significantly less. Health care reform is a very difficult and divisive issue. However, in my opinion, it is a social injustice for the United States to continue to have approximately 15% of the country uninsured. I think that any restructuring of the health care system needs to take into account providing dependable coverage for this group. An interesting part of this debate is that the CDC has not been more involved in lobbying for a system that provides more satisfactory health outcomes.

The obesity epidemic is another factor that is influencing American rate at an increasing rate. Obesity causes heart disease, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. Programs such as the NYC trans fat ban, the decision in many cities to include nutritional info on menus, and interventions aimed at increasing physical activity levels. In my opinion, to be effective, programs need to begin in schools and stress healthy eating and high physical activity levels from a young age. The CDC should make sure that foods offered at school are healthy and balanced and that children are taught the importance of frequent physical activity and proper nutrition habits.

P.S. Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso, both of the US, won gold and silver in the women's downhill!