NEJM Catalyst’s Post

A new report from The Commonwealth Fund investigated how the US healthcare system matches up to its peers, and the results aren’t good: the US has the lowest quality system of the ten countries analyzed.    The results are a stark reflection of the issues we’ve seen plaguing our system – particularly, a lack of affordable, accessible care.    In the “access to care” metric, which measures both affordability and care availability, the United States once again ranked last. The US also ranked last in health outcomes.     At Lantern we believe quality encompasses many domains –ease of access, equity, patient-centeredness, safety, efficacy and more. Also, clinical quality doesn’t exist outside the context of affordability, which is a requirement to drive value.  It's clear the US system is falling short, making the need for solutions targeting the root causes of the issue – inaccessible, unaffordable care – higher than ever. 

A recent independent assessment of the National Health Service (NHS) in England, led by Lord Darzi, highlights some critical insights, reinforcing truths that have been proven time and again across the world. The key takeaway is clear: the performance of a health system is directly dependent on continuous investment that keeps pace with evolving needs and leverages scientific and technological advancements. The report also underscores another well-known fact—the deep interconnectedness of health and socio-economic factors. Poor health, when combined with adverse socio-economic conditions, places immense strain on healthcare systems. Even the best-prepared systems can struggle to cope with the compounded burden if these societal issues are left unaddressed. When there is a widening gap between healthcare system readiness and the growing burden of ill health, a vicious cycle begins. It feels as though healthcare systems and health challenges are two “athletes” locked in an unfair race. Healthcare systems are often underfunded and underprepared, while the challenges they face are fueled by worsening socio-economic conditions, giving the latter an unfair advantage. To win this race, we must continuously "nourish" our healthcare systems—investing not just to catch up but to stay ahead. It’s not a one-time sprint but a marathon requiring sustained support, innovation, and responsiveness to the changing landscape of public health and socio-economic realities. The report also raises a crucial question: who is responsible for fixing the problem? While the Government must take the lead, the responsibility to find and implement solutions extends to everyone. This includes the life sciences industry, which plays a vital role in the healthcare ecosystem. What we see in Lord Darzi’s report is not just an NHS issue—it is a challenge for the entire life sciences sector as well. Addressing these complex problems will require partnership and collaboration across the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Rising costs of healthcare is inevitable nowadays but does higher healthcare spending really equates to better healthcare? This paper gives a good insight into how resources can be better allocated to ensure cost-effective health spending and how approach to healthcare policies should shift beyond focusing just on delivering quality medical care e.g. having most advanced technologies/up-to-date clinical practices in tertiary institutions but also towards improving community care, preventive health, reducing administrative burdens to achieve better health equity; translating into overall better population health outcomes and hence less wasteful spending.

The Commonwealth Fund’s Mirror, Mirror 2024 report compares healthcare system performance across 10 high-income countries and examines 5 key domains of health systems performance: Access to Care Care Process Administrative Efficiency Equity Health Outcomes While the U.S. continues to face challenges in access, equity, and outcomes, there are valuable lessons from top-performing nations. What do you think are the best solutions from other countries that the U.S. healthcare system could implement? #MirrorMirror #ActivateCare #healthcare #HealthEquity https://hubs.la/Q02Q_hgg0

  A recent study on global healthcare by the Commonwealth Fund found that Americans die earlier, are sicker, and have the worst healthcare as compared to 9 other developed countries. The study ranks health system performance in 5 defined areas: 1) access to care, 2) care process, 3) administrative efficiency, 4) equity, and 5) health outcomes.  “It isn’t about lack of resources it’s clearly about how they are being spent. Too many Americans are living shorter, sicker lives because of this failure,”  remarked Dr. Joseph Betancourt, president of the Commonwealth Fund in a interview regarding the study's results. According to Petersen/KFF Health System Tracker, the US health consumption spending per capita is $12,555, close to double that of the other 9 countries in the study.  Dr. Betancourt went on to comment, “The status quo continually spending the most and getting the least for our (USA) health care dollars is not sustainable.” https://lnkd.in/evhiR-va

This should be required reading for anyone with a vested interest in healthcare; meaning, basically, anyone in the U.S. https://lnkd.in/eDwbMrEf Two key sentences: "The U.S. continues to be in a class by itself in the underperformance of its health care sector. While the other nine countries differ in the details of their systems and in their performance on domains, unlike the U.S., they all have found a way to meet their residents’ most basic health care needs, including universal coverage. A strong, simple synopsis by https://lnkd.in/ePaAXw5N in The Keckley Report (https://lnkd.in/ePEAmteQ); which has been my Monday AM read since its inception. Key: "This study is worth discussion in every Boardroom in healthcare and in every household interested in health reforms. At a minimum, it merits collaborative action led by AHA, AHIP, AMA and others to develop meaningful, long-term solutions to its flaws that subordinate their proprietary preferences for the greater good. The last phrase is so important and, I fear, the one that will result in inaction. The 'others' includes politicians. Collectively, the healthcare industry will never subordinate their proprietary preferences until there is the political will to make them do so. We simply don't have the political will. Recently, in my healthcare analytics line of work, someone made reference to healthcare data analytics being more 'janitorial work' than anything. I'll co-opt that and say our overall healthcare delivery system is essentially janitorial work, cleaning up the mess we have fomented on ourselves by allowing extreme fragmentation of the process of delivering sick care, rather than aiming to provide actual healthcare.

The Mirror, Mirror 2024 report highlights critical gaps in the U.S. healthcare system. Despite leading in healthcare spending, the U.S. lags behind in key areas like access, equity, and health outcomes. I’m proud of the work Oak Street Health and others are doing to close those gaps. By focusing on value-based, preventive care and addressing health inequities, we are transforming healthcare and improving patient outcomes. Simply put, we are rebuilding healthcare as it should be. There is still plenty of work ahead, but I am hopeful for the future. By continuing to innovate and push boundaries, we can improve healthcare for all.

It was an honour to attend this year's Joint Annual Review (JAR) for the Ministry of Health (2023-2024) which is a comprehensive evaluation process that assesses the performance of the health sector within the fiscal year. It serves as a critical tool for the Ministry and stakeholders, including international partners, civil society, and private sectors, to review progress, identify gaps, and determine the effectiveness of health interventions and policy implementations. Objectives of the Joint Annual Review: 1. Evaluate Health Sector Performance: Analyze the achievements against set targets, benchmarks, and key performance indicators (KPIs) outlined in the health sector's strategic plan. 2. Review Policy Implementation: Assess the progress in implementing national health policies, strategies, and reforms. 3. Strengthen Accountability: Promote transparency and accountability by evaluating the use of resources and their outcomes. 4. Identify Bottlenecks and Challenges: Examine operational and systemic challenges affecting healthcare delivery and health outcomes. 5. Set Priorities for the Coming Year: Based on the assessment, outline key priorities, strategies, and actions for the upcoming year to ensure improved health outcomes. The following are Expected Outcomes of the 2023-2024 JAR: 1. Comprehensive Report: A detailed report on the health sector’s performance, including successes, challenges, and areas for improvement. 2. Recommendations: Strategic recommendations for policy adjustments, resource allocation, and operational improvements. 3. Action Plan: A prioritized action plan for the upcoming year with clear objectives, targets, and timelines to address identified gaps. 4. Stakeholder Consensus: Enhanced alignment and coordination among stakeholders on health priorities, roles, and responsibilities. My personal reflections on the JAR! The JAR is essential for guiding the health sector's planning and budgeting process, enhancing accountability, and ensuring that health interventions are responsive to the population's needs. It also contributes to achieving universal health coverage #(UHC)# by providing insights on where to focus efforts for improved accessibility, affordability, and quality of healthcare services. The Joint Annual Review for 2023-2024 serves as a critical mechanism for monitoring progress towards national and global health goals, providing a roadmap for a healthier population and a resilient health system.

The troubled state of the U.S. healthcare system is not new to any patient, provider or payer, but it can still be a shock to see just how poorly it compares to those of other nations.   A recent report from the The Commonwealth Fund places the U.S. last among 10 developed countries, including Canada, France and Germany. The U.S. ranked last or second-last in most categories, including administrative efficiency and access to care.   The report is a sobering reminder of just how far we must go to achieve an affordable and equitable system. Cascala can improve our piece of the healthcare ecosystem through technology that provides integrated care transitions and reduces hospital readmissions. Find out how by connecting with us.   Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/etuVQXX3 #Healthcare #ACO #CareTransitions #PatientCare #HealthcareInnovation   

Resource Alert 🤓 The Mirror, Mirror 2024 report from The Commonwealth Fund provides a detailed comparison of healthcare systems across 19 countries, with key findings on cost, quality, and access. Key insights relevant to our work at Revive 💡 - Americans face the most barriers to accessing and affording health care. - Extensive cost-sharing requirements render many patients in the U.S. unable to visit a doctor when medical issues arise, causing them to skip medical tests, treatments, or follow-up visits, and avoid filling prescriptions or skip doses of their medications. - U.S. patients are more likely than their peers in most other countries to report they don’t have a regular doctor or place of care. Check out the full report here.... and see how the U.S. healthcare system ranks across other areas: https://lnkd.in/eMshnDaq Bravo to The Commonwealth Fund for this great piece of research! And kudos to authors David Blumenthal, Evan D. Gumas, Arnav Shah, Munira Z. Gunja, and Reginald D. Williams II thank you! Our team enjoyed this piece.