In a recent survey by the Commonwealth Fund Commission reveals that 82 percent of US citizens are not satisfied with American healthcare system. It needs rejuvenation. According to the people participated in survey, the patient care can be improved if modern health information technology like personal health records is introduced by every healthcare organizations. 90 percent of the adults desire to have easy access for them as well as for their doctors to their personal health records.
The “commission’s report on “A High Performance Health System” outlines what an ideal healthcare system would look like and offers strategies that could create it.” (Moniegain). Though the leading presidential candidates speak about their plans of reforming entire healthcare system by improving quality and including healthcare insurance, in present scenario over thirty percent of the adults are of the view that their doctors either prescribed for repeated tests or persuade unnecessary treatment. Hence they express their concern of improving present system’s efficiency in terms of accessibility, quality and cost.
The AARP(American Association of Retired Persons) celebrate their 50th anniversary in this year and as per their opinion the US health care system is undergoing through “three dangerous trends: rising costs, increasing numbers of Americans without insurance coverage and poor quality of health care delivery.” (Novelli). AARP has some important missions like improvement of quality of elderly people’s life by taking possible measures for positive social change and propagating good values among members and people across the country. AARP keeps the dignity of elderly people and guides them about the purpose of living life.
Proper and effective healthcare system needs to be developed involving latest technology in it. Associating information technology, thus maintaining a systematic personal health records would suffice to streamline and improve US healthcare system. Off course, establishing IT infrastructure is expensive to implement, but as it will start functioning the returns and merits would be manifold than what is spent. Generally the healthcare system faces various medical errors due to which unwanted re-admissions, repeated tests, unnecessary treatments, even avoidable deaths that happen every year.
Once the process of personal health records is implemented with the help of IT, then it can eliminate the possible errors and all shortcomings of the system can be thwarted. The other area to which proper concentration to be given is the patients with chronic diseases. Presently the system does not give proper consideration to the chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes, which are spreading more than other diseases. Ensuring good quality of medicines and drugs with reasonable price is a significant factor, where the current US health care system lacks behind of other countries.
There is an urgent need to cut down the prices of prescription drugs as well as life saving drugs for everyone. Encouraging necessary medical researches and aiding them with adequate monetary funds can develop good quality drugs. Like AARP 60 or more other organizations are also functioning for the betterment of healthcare. Some of them are “the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, the National Council of Churches, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, and the Motion Picture and Television Fund and lots of others. BRT, SEIU, NFIB,” etc. (Novelli).
People across the country are anxious about their health insurance due to frequently changing jobs due to which they are always tensed about the future of their family especially their aging parents and studying children. Business organizations are also turned away from the concept of health insurance to the employees as they see it makes them uncompetitive among others. Nowadays majority of the people are uninsured due to high healthcare costs but poor in quality. Everyone knows it and not happy with the present setup. Since these shortcoming are not easy to correct or solve, it is the need of hour to formulate innovative ideas for the improvement of health by ensuring effective healthcare services.
Political Views on the Present System
“Most Republicans think the U.S. Health Care System is the best in the world. Democrats disagree.” (Most Republicans think the U.S. Health Care System is the best in the world: Democrats disagree 2008). In the recent survey and debate on the comparison of US health care system with that of other countries some contradictions were noticed. Top party leaders including President Bush opined that no other country has better healthcare system than their system.
In the meantime, the WHO and similar institutions unveils the fact that many other countries have better systems than that of US. It is confirmed that reforms in public healthcare systems would be an important issue in the upcoming presidential election. As far as comparison of healthcare among counties is concerned, every US citizen generally compares the system with that of Canada, France and Great Britain. This IT and media oriented world provides them with updated information about the real scenario.
Leaders are trying to find out the possible ways to improve the existing system. All studies, surveys and researches assert similar kind of lacunae of existing system which needs proper attention in various fields. Some of them are ensuring effective patient care, accessibility for patients to their personal health records, providing specialized training to Physicians and health care professionals to form an effective team or organized healthcare setup, ensuring government infrastructure support with proper monitoring system, etc.
It may take years to reform U.S. health-care system. But it will happen in the existing system to transform it as an effective one. “As Winston Churchill once said: “You can count on Americans to do the right thing – but only after they’ve tried everything else.”” (Rother).
Works Cited
Haas, John M. The National Catholic Bioethics Center. 2008. Web.
Mahon, Mary. New Survey: 82 Percent of American Think Health Care System Needs Major Overhaul. The Common Wealth Fund. 2008. Web.
Moniegain, Bernie. Americans Say Healthcare System Needs Cverhaul. Healthcare IT News. 2008. Web.
Most Republicans think the U.S. Health Care System is the best in the world: Democrats disagree. Harvard School of Public Health. 2008. Web.
Novelli, Bill. Transforming America’s Health Care System: Lessons from Abroad. AARP International. 2008. Web.
Rother, John. Health, Innovation and The Economy. OCED Forum 2008: Climate Change, Growth, Stability. 2008. Web.
Success Stories: Local, State, and Nongovernmental Organization Examples. CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. 2007. Web.
Thrall, James H. Perspectives. Radiology. 2005. Web.