Comments on: Is the U.S. medical care system “resource constrained”? http://www.dmu.edu/magazine/summer-2011/health-care-analysis-summer-2011/is-the-u-s-medical-care-system-resource-constrained/ Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:34:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Richard Belloff, DBA http://www.dmu.edu/magazine/summer-2011/health-care-analysis-summer-2011/is-the-u-s-medical-care-system-resource-constrained/#comment-378 Richard Belloff, DBA Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:43:48 +0000 http://www.dmu.edu/magazine/?p=4125#comment-378 Hi Jay,

Thanks for your kind words. As you point out, comparing summary statistics across country barriers and cultures can be tricky business. Moreover, when one has an agenda …. well, that can impact the message as well.

My next article will address the underlying dynamics hinted at in this recent article. Namely, IF the US is really behind the curve with regard to medical resources, how did this happen? The logical question could then be; how do we shift course?

These are, of course,knotty problems with entrenched players who will resist change when and if it is proposed.

That is why medical economics is so much fun!

Thanks again.

Rich Belloff

]]> By: Jay Coleman http://www.dmu.edu/magazine/summer-2011/health-care-analysis-summer-2011/is-the-u-s-medical-care-system-resource-constrained/#comment-371 Jay Coleman Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:25:40 +0000 http://www.dmu.edu/magazine/?p=4125#comment-371 Hi, Richard,
I enjoyed reading your publication and look forward to the follow up. Ironically, the lead story on the MSN website today is about how the U.S. spends more on healthcare than any developed country and yet has higher infant mortality rates and shorter life expectancies than other countries. I hope you would address these myths as well as the spending myths. They are the usual template citing the WHO numbers…unfortunately the U.S. may be the only country on the planet that actually uses the WHO criteria for infant statistics and life expectancy statistics so our numbers appear more negative based on that fact alone.
Also, I would be curious what percent of our health care dollar is spent on administrative practices compared to other countries.
I really like your premise of asking the next question. All to often we as a society have become very accepting of the media templates thrown at us every day. Ahhhh…the good old days where we questioned everything.

Jay

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