A Healthcare Cliche That Might Not Be True

By Steve Poftak
August 14th, 2009

Today’s FT reports that “study after study shows that overall the highest level of health spending in the world does not deliver anything like the best results”. And I’ve seen similar variations elsewhere.

I’d point you in the direction of a recent paper from the Population Studies Center at UPenn. In it, mortality rates for prostate cancer are considered, as prostate cancer responds well to early detection and treatment. The study shows that mortality rates for the disease have declined significantly in comparison to a number of European countries.

Does it disapprove the initial assertion? Not close to completely, but it does provide some evidence that factors beyond ineffective healthcare spending are causing some of the poor results in other health metrics.