Controversial Michael Moore Flick 'Sicko' Will Compare U.S. Health Care with Cuba's

Nurses Activism

Published

Health care advances in Cuba

According to the Associated Press as cited in the Post article, "Cuba has made recent advancements in biotechnology and exports its treatments to 40 countries around the world, raking in an estimated $100 million a year. ... In 2004, the U.S. government granted an exception to its economic embargo against Cuba and allowed a California drug company to test three cancer vaccines developed in Havana."

http://alternet.org/envirohealth/50911/?page=1

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Thank you. I've worked in Canada obviously and believe me, you wouldn't survive as a nurse if patients were complaining about you. Managers still care about patient satisfaction because patients can go to ANY hospital they want.

Interesting. I guess when you take out the limitations of HMO's etc that say "you have to go here or we don't pay" and can go anywhere because it will get paid for, then customer service indeed would be an issue. Thanks!

Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
Thank you. I've worked in Canada obviously and believe me, you wouldn't survive as a nurse if patients were complaining about you. Managers still care about patient satisfaction because patients can go to ANY hospital they want.

Do you know if anyone has done a comparative study of the two systems for things like ease of use, pt satisfaction, wait times, cost (in taxes or premiums), pt outcomes, worker satisfaction, etc.? A reasonably unbiased study that doesn't involve MM or Ann Coulter, etc.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Do you know if anyone has done a comparative study of the two systems for things like ease of use, pt satisfaction, wait times, cost (in taxes or premiums), pt outcomes, worker satisfaction, etc.? A reasonably unbiased study that doesn't involve MM or Ann Coulter, etc.

It's well docuemented that the underinsured and poor have poorer outcomes, but such a comparison would be interesting to read. I wonder if it would include only insured people, or both the uninsured/poor, etc. persons as well. There's obviously two systems here.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Yes, that's a good point.

I think all of this discussion boils down to some simple facts.

Government officials are, by-and-large pretty well insulated from accountability much of the time. And when they are held accountable, it is usually after they've already stolen or wasted huge amounts of the kinds of resources we need to address the issues we're discussing here. Voting isn't currently a very effective way to hold people accountable.

The hospital and pharmaceutical CEOs are similarly insulated. They are only accountable to a slightly lesser degree because of competition. However, the leveling effects of competition are weaker than many of us would like to believe because of limited choice in many cases (not exactly the kind of raw competition you get between pepsi and coke when they're both on the shelf in front of you).

I want to help the most people in the best way. The hard part of that to swallow is that there ARE limited resources. In order to do the most good, we have to warm up to the fact that we may have to forgo a finger attachment in order to save resources for other, more important things. This may sound cold, but it feels compassionate to me.

This country is debtiv.gif

dollars in debt to real people and real countries. And yes I know President Bush contributed to this, but I also know President Clinton did too, and so on and so on. And no, balancing a budget by taxing folks out of the desire to make more money doesn't remedy the problem. And yes there are other areas we could cut (without a doubt).

This debt curve goes vertical because of un-payable interest at some point.

We are not the riches country in the world in terms of monetary wealth anymore. That wealth is imaginary.

When the debt curve goes vertical, the only way to pay it will be by devaluing the money. Then our children will have much more to worry about than universal health care.

Sorry for going off-topic, but it all seems related to me somehow (of course I just got off of 4 consecutive 12-hour night shifts).

Actually Clinton had built up a large Surplus. Which Bushie blew and then some.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Absolutely there is much to be proud of in our current health care system. And yes, if you polled Americans most are satisfied with the status quo. If I take only myself and my experiences with the health care system (which is limited due to excellent health) I personally am satisfied as well.

Satisfied or afraid of change. Curious minds want to know.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
It's well docuemented that the underinsured and poor have poorer outcomes, but such a comparison would be interesting to read. I wonder if it would include only insured people, or both the uninsured/poor, etc. persons as well. There's obviously two systems here.

There are at least 2 systems in place. But there should not be a difference in the outcomes of care. That is illegal, immoral, and unfair.

This is what causes there to be a drive renewed for Universal Health Care.

Specializes in DOU.
Satisfied or afraid of change. Curious minds want to know.

The World Health Organization says "patient satisfaction". I realize I am only a single person, but I LOVE our family physicians, and so I suppose I would be a *little bit* afraid of losing them due to a system change.

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
I'm not sure it was mentioned in all these pages, but although the World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th for overall health care systems, it placed number ONE for patient satisfaction.

Yes, we have problems, but clearly we are doing something right, too.

According to Press gainey score right.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
There are at least 2 systems in place. But there should not be a difference in the outcomes of care. That is illegal, immoral, and unfair.

This is what causes there to be a drive renewed for Universal Health Care.

I completely agree with you here.

(Write this day down. I actually agree with and like something you said!!!! OMG The sky is falling. LOL)

Specializes in DOU.
According to Press gainey score right.

Actually, I'm not sure. I kind of doubt it though, because I think Press Gainey is a national system, rather than international, right? Anyway, I read in a World Heath Organization report.

France's system is further prized for its high level of choice and responsiveness -- attributes that led the World Health Organization to rank it the finest in the world (America's system came in at No. 37, between Costa Rica and Slovenia). The French can see any doctor or specialist they want, at any time they want, as many times as they want, no referrals or permissions needed.

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_health_of_nations

I think true provider choice would do wonders for really making us the best in the world for satisfaction. Without a link to the WHO study it is difficult to evaluate this assertion about patient satisfaction.

i thought we had already decided that there is access to healthcare for everyone in the us - not equal access at times but access none the less.
the point i was making was:

its not that progressives are trying to achieve absolute equality of results for everyone rather the more accurate goal of progressivism is to reduce barriers to achievement (whether it is educational, health etc.) so that all people in society have the opportunity to achieve to the extent of their individual ability and drive.

see also

the u.s. health care system performs poorly compared with other countries

  • the commonwealth fund commission on a high performance health system's national scorecard on u.s. health system performance found that out of a possible 100 points based on benchmarks that have been achieved within the u.s. or other countries, the u.s. received a score of 66, or one-third below benchmark levels of performance. the u.s. scored particularly poorly on indicators of efficiency, with wide variation in cost and quality across the country and with much higher spending levels than other countries.
  • the u.s. ranks 15th out of 19 countries on mortality from conditions "amenable to health care"—that is, deaths that could have been prevented with timely and effective care. the u.s. ranks last on infant mortality.
  • universal participation is essential for dramatic improvement in health care outcomes as well as overall performance of the u.s. health system.
  • not having stable, adequate coverage limits access to care. out of five industrialized countries studied, the u.s. had the highest share of adults reporting that they had cost-related problems accessing needed health care.

~

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=506778

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