**Students are expected to select an industrialized country, other than the United States and the example given in the syllabus, identify and prepare a 1-page discussion document addressing key factors associated with the healthcare system in your country of choice. Both the report template and a sample discussion document are provided on pages 21 and 22 of the syllabus.
TEMPLATE FOR DISCUSSION DOCUMENT
HEALTH STATUS OF OTHER COUNTRIES
Name of the country:
Type of government:
Type of healthcare system:
Population:
Primary ethnic groups:
Access to Healthcare:
Quality of Care:
Cost of Care:
Emerging Health Issues or Challenges:
EXAMPLE
HEALTH STATUS OF PORTUGAL
Name of the country: Portugal
Type of government: Parliamentary democracy
Type of healthcare system: National Health System administered by the Ministry of Health,
blended with some employment-based health coverage
Population: 10,676,910 (2008 estimate)
Per capita gross domestic product (GDP): $21,800 (2007 estimate)
Principal ethnic groups: Mediterranean, Black African and European
Access to Healthcare: Because the system is administered by the national government, all
citizens have access to healthcare. The constitution stipulates that healthcare is to be provided
to all citizens. There is a Patient Charter that provides certain rights to everyone – the right to
be informed of one’s health status and to receive a second opinion; the right to refuse any
procedure; the right to privacy of one’s personal health records; the patient’s responsibility for
his/her health status, and to be forthcoming regarding health history. The national health
system provides direct acute hospital care, general practice, and mother and child care services.
Primary Care Centers represent a primary vehicle for dispensing health services. Patients must
register with a general practitioner (GP) within their defined geographic area.
Quality of Care: As of 2005, data indicate that Portugal has a higher life expectancy at birth
(78.2 years) than the United States (77.8 in 2004), but lower than France and the United
Kingdom (England). According to a recent study compared Portugal to other OECD countries in
the area of ‘amenable mortality’. Amenable Mortality is death that can be averted through the
presence and intervention of effective healthcare. Infant mortality has improved over the past
two decades, resulting in overall improving health status. There has also been improvement in
both the number of people on health care waiting lists, as well as in the length of time they
must wait before receiving health services.
Cost of Care: The national health system is financed out of general tax revenues, accounting for
approximately 60% of total tax revenue. The national health system also receives revenue from
hospital charges associated with private room charges, private insurance, fines, donations,
equipment and space rentals, etc. Out-of-pocket health costs are particularly high (23 % i ...
Ecosystem Interactions Class Discussion Presentation in Blue Green Lined Styl...
Students are expected to select an industrialized country, other.docx
1. **Students are expected to select an industrialized country,
other than the United States and the example given in the
syllabus, identify and prepare a 1-page discussion document
addressing key factors associated with the healthcare system in
your country of choice. Both the report template and a sample
discussion document are provided on pages 21 and 22 of the
syllabus.
TEMPLATE FOR DISCUSSION DOCUMENT
HEALTH STATUS OF OTHER COUNTRIES
Name of the country:
Type of government:
Type of healthcare system:
Population:
Primary ethnic groups:
Access to Healthcare:
Quality of Care:
Cost of Care:
Emerging Health Issues or Challenges:
2. EXAMPLE
HEALTH STATUS OF PORTUGAL
Name of the country: Portugal
Type of government: Parliamentary democracy
Type of healthcare system: National Health System
administered by the Ministry of Health,
blended with some employment-based health coverage
Population: 10,676,910 (2008 estimate)
Per capita gross domestic product (GDP): $21,800 (2007
estimate)
Principal ethnic groups: Mediterranean, Black African and
European
Access to Healthcare: Because the system is administered by the
national government, all
citizens have access to healthcare. The constitution stipulates
that healthcare is to be provided
to all citizens. There is a Patient Charter that provides certain
rights to everyone – the right to
be informed of one’s health status and to receive a second
opinion; the right to refuse any
procedure; the right to privacy of one’s personal health records;
the patient’s responsibility for
his/her health status, and to be forthcoming regarding health
history. The national health
system provides direct acute hospital care, general practice, and
3. mother and child care services.
Primary Care Centers represent a primary vehicle for dispensing
health services. Patients must
register with a general practitioner (GP) within their defined
geographic area.
Quality of Care: As of 2005, data indicate that Portugal has a
higher life expectancy at birth
(78.2 years) than the United States (77.8 in 2004), but lower
than France and the United
Kingdom (England). According to a recent study compared
Portugal to other OECD countries in
the area of ‘amenable mortality’. Amenable Mortality is death
that can be averted through the
presence and intervention of effective healthcare. Infant
mortality has improved over the past
two decades, resulting in overall improving health status. There
has also been improvement in
both the number of people on health care waiting lists, as well
as in the length of time they
must wait before receiving health services.
Cost of Care: The national health system is financed out of
general tax revenues, accounting for
approximately 60% of total tax revenue. The national health
system also receives revenue from
hospital charges associated with private room charges, private
insurance, fines, donations,
equipment and space rentals, etc. Out-of-pocket health costs are
particularly high (23 % in
2004), compared to other countries in the European Union (EU).
In terms of per capita healthcare spending, Portugal, which has
one of the highest poverty rates in the EU, spends
more than France and the United Kingdom, but less than the
United States. In relative terms,
the burden of healthcare costs fall more on the low-income
4. households.
Emerging Health Issues or Challenges: There is a lack of public
ambulatory services, resulting in
higher Emergency Department usage. There is still a long
waiting list for surgical procedures.
Healthcare expenditures are expected to continue rising, with
little hope of effective cost
controls being developed and implemented.
