Analysis of experiences with health care systems in U.S., other industrialized countries

An analysis in Health Affairs comparing health care experiences in seven industrialized countries finds that "Americans spend double what people in other industrialized countries do on health care, but have more trouble seeing doctors, are the victims of more errors and go without treatment more often." (Source: "US healthcare comes up short in survey of 7 nations," Reuters, Nov. 1, 2007.) The analysis also revealed that patients in England and Canada wait the longest for elective surgery, U.S. and German patients were most likely to perceive waste in the health care system, and U.S. and Dutch adults spent the most time on paperwork or billing disputes. (Source: "Toward Higher-Performance Health Systems: Adults’ Health Care Experiences In Seven Countries, 2007" Health Affairs, 26, no. 6 (2007): w717-w734.) The study found that in all the countries, having a "medical home that is accessible and helps coordinate care" is associated with patients having a significantly more positive experience with the health care system.