Britain has narrowly edged out Australia's healthcare system to take the coveted top spot in a global study which ranked the quality of healthcare systems based on 72 indicators.
The study, conducted by US think tank The Commonwealth Fund, compared the healthcare systems of 11 high-income countries to measure performance in five key domains: care process, access, administrative efficiency, equity and health care outcomes.
More World News Videos
- Video duration
- 00:33
'Nobody knew healthcare could be so ...
'Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated'
US President Donald Trump says his administration has come up with an alternative to Obamacare, but contends, "it's an unbelievably complex subject, nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated".
Up Next
California fire burns through 8000 hectares
- Video duration
- 00:35
- Video duration
- 00:35
California fire burns through 8000 ...
California fire burns through 8000 hectares
A fire is raging through central California's Mariposa County, threatening homes and leading to evacuation orders.
Up Next
Violent clash outside Jerusalem's sacred compound
- Video duration
- 00:52
- Video duration
- 00:52
Violent clash outside Jerusalem's sacred ...
Violent clash outside Jerusalem's sacred compound
At least 14 people were injured in a clash between police and Palestinian worshippers near Jerusalem's Noble Sanctuary-Temple Mount compound.
Up Next
Trump and Putin's undisclosed meeting
- Video duration
- 01:04
- Video duration
- 01:04
Trump and Putin's undisclosed meeting
Trump and Putin's undisclosed meeting
Their first highly publicised meeting at G20 went for over two hours, it has now been revealed that the US and Russian presidents met again without a US translator, breaching security protocol.
Up Next
Traffic stop leads to engagement ring
- Video duration
- 01:15
- Video duration
- 01:15
Traffic stop leads to engagement ring
Traffic stop leads to engagement ring
A Texas woman is pulled over by police, but instead of getting a ticket she gets a marriage proposal.
Up Next
Bodies found after 75 years on ice
- Video duration
- 01:08
- Video duration
- 01:08
Bodies found after 75 years on ice
Bodies found after 75 years on ice
Missing since 1942, the bodies of Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin have been discovered in the Swiss Alps.
Up Next
Viral video leads to Saudi woman's arrest
- Video duration
- 00:50
- Video duration
- 00:50
Viral video leads to Saudi woman's arrest
Viral video leads to Saudi woman's arrest
This Snapchat video of a woman known as Khulood wearing a mini-skirt has caused a rift in Saudi Arabia, with calls for her to be charged and others labeling her as brave.
Up Next
Emotional vigil for Justine
- Video duration
- 00:50
- Video duration
- 00:50
Emotional vigil for Justine
Emotional vigil for Justine
Family and friends have gathered to remember Justine Damond who was shot and killed by a US police officer, while the PM says the government is pushing for answers.
'Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated'
US President Donald Trump says his administration has come up with an alternative to Obamacare, but contends, "it's an unbelievably complex subject, nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated".
But experts warn a self-congratulatory pat on the back risks overlooking the reality faced by some of Australia's most vulnerable patients.
"All self-congratulations and praise should be tempered by the realisation that Australia ranks very poorly on equity," Dr Lesley Russell from the University of Sydney's Menzies Centre for Health Policy says.
While Australia's health service was praised for its safety, efficiency, and healthcare outcomes for patients, and was among the top-ranked countries on issues such as preventative measures and patient engagement, it fared worse when it came to equity.
In the past year, one in 10 Australians struggled to access medical care because of cost, a factor that saw Australia slide down the rankings to seventh in the category measuring equity.
Here, Dr Russell raises a red flag: "This indicates that the universality of Medicare is being undermined by difficulties in affordable access for many Australians", she says.
While the report attributes Australia's good performance to universal healthcare coverage, Dr Russell is ambivalent. "In theory Australia has this," she says, but "in practice, not so much for some segments of the population."
Dr Ranjana Srivastava, a veteran oncologist and best-selling author, does not shy away from the question of equal access to care, sharing some of Dr Russell's reservations.
"Australia did not fare as well when it comes to equity," she says. "This does ring true to me."
"I am always surprised and humbled to see how treatment outcomes for patients who have the same disease but belong to different postcodes can be so vastly different."
"The factors that I regularly see in play here are socioeconomic disadvantage, health illiteracy, and the lack of advocacy."
Since the last study was conducted in 2014, Australia has jumped two spots from fourth position, leapfrogging past Sweden and Switzerland into second position.
But the data used to assess Australia's performance spans from 2014 to 2016, meaning it may not reflect the impact of the Medicare rebate freeze – a policy which the AMA maintains will widen the chasm between the type of medical care available to the rich and the poor.
"Granted our healthcare system has problems", Dr Srivastava says, "they are well documented by the media – and we should not rest on our laurels."
Overall however, Dr Srivastava points out that the results of the study reflect a culture within Australia's health institutions where care is the primary concern.
"Time and again, I have seen the care, compassion and efficiency with which patients are treated, no matter their ability to pay," Dr Srivastava says.
"A universal health care system like ours treats healthcare as a right rather than a privilege. The countries that are doing well, I think, believe in a moral responsibility to care for their sick, vulnerable and elderly."
The overall health system performance scores:
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Germany
- Canada
- France
- United States
0 comments
New User? Sign up