Well, no, there are outcomes for specific surgeries, and if you bothered to look at the last of the studies that I posted, you would know that. It compares survival rates in the U.S. and Canada for various diseases and procedures, in low, medium and high risk patients. In almost all cases, the outcomes are better in Canada. So this takes care of such variables such as the health of the population. Anyway, remember that the national beverage in Canada is gravy. Canada is the home of such non-healthy delicacies as the Nanaimo bar, poutine, and the hot beef sandwich. These studies compare the U.S. to other countries, such as France (with the highest rate of alcoholism in the world, and much higher rates of smoking than the U.S.) and the UK (home of the deep-fried Mars bar). So, is diet and lifestyle really something that explains these discrepancies?

Zeiss

 

By the way, UK and Singapore hospitals are favoured destinations for the wealthy from Arab states. Don't think that Saudi royalty always comes to the U.S. A relative of mine in Singapore has become quite wealthy arranging for medical tourism for the superrich from the Middle East in Singapore, which has world-class medical treatment.

 

That's anecdotal, though, and that's not suitable data for this discussion.

 

I don't see why people say Americans are obese and sick...

 

Actually reading all of your links points out a few things to me.

One is the first line in the "Previous Studies" comparison. I quote:

[QUOTE]Editor

 

regardless of where the Home of the fatest most unhealthy food is. the fact remains that US has the fattest, least healthy population. Medicine can only do so much.
Don't know about Singapore but the majority of medical advances in the last 50 years come from US of A. think of the latest and greatest miracles of medicine and likely it's originated from here.
Americans don't go to Canada for health care but I know plenty of cases where Canadians come to US for care.
the only thing US citizen get from canada is drugs by mail.

 

[QUOTE=zeiss,Jan 10 2008, 02:06 PM]By the way, UK and Singapore hospitals are favoured destinations for the wealthy from Arab states.

 

What exactly does this mean... please elaborate. As a recent medical school graduate, that statement makes zero sense to me.

 

[QUOTE=S2020,Jan 10 2008, 01:57 PM] outcome is not just physician/hospital dependent but also on the population being treated.

 

OK, JonBoy, here's something for you to answer. Regarding the point raised, that the presence of Saudi royalty in the US proves the superiority of the American health care system over all other health care systems, does anyone here honestly think that the Sauds would be getting the same health care as the average American? Do you think that they are coming to HMOs, having profit-motivated insurance companies decide how or what treatment is going to be available to them, having to decide if they can afford to pay for treatment on their own, being without insurance and having to line up in charity wards? So, even if America were the only destination chosen by Middle Eastern potentates (which manifestly is not the case), what would this prove? Not a lot.

Zeiss