What can Americans learn from Europeans?
In this article, the opportunities for Americans to learn from Europeans regarding the pros and cons of a comprehensive health care system, the role of regionalization in achieving cost control, efficiency, and equity, and the management of new expensive technologies are discussed. One conclusion is that there is a convergence of health care systems, at least in terms of means to achieve cost containment and efficiency. European health care systems will increasingly provide interesting information on how different health policies--many of them devised in the United States--work under different economic and regulatory conditions.
D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000191:economics; D012040:Regional Health Planning; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology