A Comparative Analysis of the US Healthcare System and the Netherlands Healthcare System
Research Proposal and Outline
The Netherlands is a small but one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The country currently has a population of 17.18 million. The Netherlands has one of the most sophisticated healthcare systems in the world. The Dutch healthcare system has, however, transitioned through various stages to be in its current state. The life expectancy in the country 81.8 years, a figure slightly higher than the average life expectancy for the entire European Union. (Kroneman, Wienke, Peter, Judith, & Ewout, 2016). The country’s GDP as of 2017 was 826.2 billion USD. The Netherlands, as opposed to the US, spends sparingly on less on healthcare administrative costs but excessively high on long-term care per capita. Despite the moderate expenditure by the Dutch healthcare system, the life expectancy in the country still beats the life expectancy of most countries, including the US. The infant mortality rate in the Netherlands stands at 3.5 per 1,000 live births while the infant mortality rate in the US, which currently stands at 5.8 deaths per 1000 live births. The Dutch healthcare system is mostly reliant on private insurance services as the country mandates that each person has to have private insurance coverage (Daley & James, 2011). The US has realized significant improvements in the healthcare system following the expansion of Medicaid and Medicare. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Rationale for the Selection of the Country
A review of the healthcare system in the country revealed the existence of quite a sophisticated and advanced healthcare system. Comparatively, the US spends almost double the amount of expenditure by the Netherlands on healthcare. The healthcare system in the Netherlands, however, beats that of the US by a significant margin. The low life expectancy, child and general mortality rates in the Netherlands create a considerable interest prompting the need to examine the dynamics of the country’s healthcare system against that of the US.
Outline
Despite the sophistication and advancements in the healthcare systems in the Netherlands, the country is still challenged by poverty in parts of its regions. Efficiency in healthcare, high costs of hospital care, among others. Some of the issues to be covered in the Analysis include:
An overview of the Dutch Healthcare System
-The transitions in the Dutch Healthcare System
-Per capita spending on healthcare
-Standards of healthcare including terms of access to healthcare services
Poverty Level in the country
-A review of the National Income per capita
-A review of rural vs. urban poverty gap
-Access to healthcare in rural regions of the country
Life Expectancy
-Life Expectancy at birth
-Child Mortality rate
-Early mortality rate before the age of sixty
-Measures in place to reduce mortality rates
Healthcare Spending
-Healthcare spending as a percentage of the GDP
Efficiency
-A review of the World Health Organization model of efficiency in relation to the country’s overall efficiency
Emerging Issues in the Dutch Healthcare system
-Cancer rates
-Shortage of nurses-Nurse to patient ratio
-Shortage of physicians
-Pharmaceutical expenditures
-Acute Myocardial Infection Rates