More Than Half Of US Chronically Ill Adults Skip Needed Care Due To Costs

Published in “Health Affairs” this week, a study sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund finds that chronically ill adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States show major differences among countries in access, safety, and care efficiency. U.S. patients were at particularly high risk of forgoing care because of costs and of experiencing inefficient, poorly organized care, or errors. The Dutch, who have a strong primary care infrastructure, report notably positive access and coordination experiences. Still, deficits in care management during hospital discharge or when seeing multiple doctors occurred in all countries. Findings highlight the need for system innovations to improve outcomes for patients with complex chronic conditions. [Health Affairs 28, no. 1 (2009): w1-w16 (published online 13 November 2008; 10.1377/hlthaff.28.1.w1)]