Thread by @ZekeEmanuel

My new book is out! Which country has the best #healthcare system? After studying 11 systems across 22 criteria in 7 categories...my answer is in the book; buy it! But here are some thoughts: amazon.com/Which-Country-…. 1/

First and foremost, it depends on which criteria you prioritize:

Choice of physicians and hospitals? Check out #France.

Universal coverage and excellent primary care? #UnitedKingdom.

Low drug prices? #Australia.

Chronic-care coordination? #Netherlands. 2/

What is clear that there is a top tier of the 11 health systems I studied: #Germany, #Netherlands, #Norway, and #Taiwan.

And two clear poor performers: #UnitedStates and behind us, #China. 3/

The US is the most expensive country overall BY FAR, both at the point of care & on #pharmaceuticals. Ironically, the choice of physician is much more limited in the US than in most other countries — not by the government, but by private insurers. 4/

And the complexity in the financing of US health care is an incomprehensible mess that has grown up over time devoid of design and rationality – and now justification. 5/

The Chinese system is overly focused on hospitals, w/ a poorly developed ambulatory care sector, very low patient trust, & little innovation esp in care delivery. There’s a structural problem w/ how doctors are licensed & public perceptions, neither of which are easily altered 6/

There’s a lot more, of course, in the book “Which Country Has the World’s Best Healthcare” – and I’ll be tweeting more of it in the coming days too. amazon.com/Which-Country-… /end