Status of the U S Health System

How Healthy Are We
There is a common notion that the United States has the best healthcare in the world. This notion has been fueled by the great facilities in the country’s healthcare system as compared to other countries. The United States has also increased expenditures and measures towards developing and integrating state-of-the-art equipment in the healthcare system. The combination of great facilities and latest medical equipment has contributed to the idea that the country has best healthcare in the world. However, the determination of whether the United States has the best healthcare worldwide requires consideration of factors beyond health facilities and equipment. Based on insights I’ve obtained from this course, some of the factors that should be considered when determining whether a country has the best healthcare worldwide include health equity, adequate personnel, scope and size of the health system, financing, and insurance.
After completing the videos and the Health Equity quiz, I believe that the United States does not have the best healthcare in the world. Despite having great facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, the U.S. health system has failed to provide the highest level of health for all populations. U.S. health system has been characterized by huge flaws that have contributed to dissatisfaction of different patient populations. Currently, this system is facing a shortage of personnel such as nurses and primary care physicians. Additionally, many patients either lack insurance or are underinsured and are unable to afford the high costs of new-patient visits (Givens, 2009). Shi & Singh (2015) contend that even though the U.S. healthcare system is renowned for providing some of the best clinical care across the globe, it has failed to provide equitable services to all Americans. U.S. healthcare system has been found ineffective in terms of offering cost-efficient services to different patient populations. Therefore, I do not believe that the United States has the best healthcare in the world because of the huge flaws in the system.
References
Givens, J. (2009). Doctor Shortage: Who Should Fill It? CNN Money. Retrieved July 5, 2018, from http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/news/0907/gallery.healthcare_nurses/index.html
Shi, L. & Singh, D.A. (2015). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.