U. S. Health System Produces Mixed Results

The U. S. health system has produced mixed results in two measures of mortality when compared with eight other countries in Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data, 2008.

The U. S. looks good when compared with six other countries in acute myocardial infarction (AMI or heart attack) deaths per 100,000 population in 2006 showing the third fewest deaths among the seven countries.  But we can do better.   As good as the United States compared, the death rate from AMI here was 77 percent higher than the AMI death rate in France.  (Click to enlarge graph.)

The United States looks far worse in the number of bronchitis, asthma and emphysema deaths per 100,000 population during 2006, when compared with six other countries.  The United States had the highest death rates for these diseases, and rates that were twice that of Canada and much higher than those of France, Germany and the United Kingdom.  (Click to enlarge graph.)

For those who think America has the best health care in the world, these data argue we have quite a distance to go to do as well in all areas as other developed nations.  Tomorrow, I'll look at more data that makes this point.