how USA can learn from Indian Healthcare

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This is one place I can relate to the most having worked in the healthcare industry for 2 years in India.

Cost.

I knew that the cost of healthcare was much higher in the United States than what we have back home, which I thought, was because of the high quality and high employee costs in the United States. A Harvard business article which I have cited put things into perspective and got me thinking in a different way altogether. Back home, I probably know people who have never taken an appointment to see a doctor. Surprised! Think about the last time you wanted to take an appointment for a doctor and had to wait for 2 or more weeks to see one. Don't you think if you had a common cold, it would automatically die out with some rest and home care. What if it was something more serous like a malaria or a dengue fever, you probably would have seen the doctor in an emergency department much before your appointment.

On average while a doctor sees 20 patients a day( according to a doctor that I know here), in India an average physician sees 45 outpatients and 18 inpatients a day. There are some days where a doctor would have seen 55-60 inpatients a day. ( don't be surprised, it's not just Friday the 13th). By no means is the waiting line to see the doctors a pleasant sight. Imagine my frustration when an International Patient ( no offense intended) asked me, if all the patients had appointments they wouldn't have to wait so long. She didn't have an appointment too, but because the international patient pays more ( 11$ as opposed to 6$), she can see the doctor when she arrives. There are only so many slots, that to get an appointment they would have to wait longer. The patient satisfaction is an issue here due to the long waiting hours...

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...eased to make it profitable. While an MRI scan costs 1000$ and upward, this price has to make up for the employee cost, the establishment cost, administrative cost, servicing costs and the variable costs associated with it.

Coming back to the point of utilization, the certificate of need act stopped the under utilization of hospitals. The closure of hospitals if it happens, will bring in the over utilization of hospitals leading to the reduction in costing. However in Turkey, when they felt that there was an under utilization of hospitals, they invited medical tourism to fill the gaps(though I feel that it is too late for the United States)

This is an article I found about India's secret to a low cost healthcare. http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/10/indias-secret-to-low-cost-health-care/ Works Cited

http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/10/indias-secret-to-low-cost-health-care/

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