The USA and Canada are two countries which are closely located to each other. It is essential to know that having a similar border, these countries also have a number of similarities, however, the differences are so numerous, that it is impossible to dwell about any similarity. It is possible to dwell upon many different aspects and to compare and contrast various issues in US and Canadian life, however, healthcare is considered as one of the most essential topics for discussion.
The choice of the healthcare as the point for discussion is chosen with the purpose to understand how two bordering countries which have to interconnect and relate on each other differ in such global questions as healthcare, however, the similarities are also present and the fact that Canadian healthcare changer were completed after the American ones makes us think that Canada borrowed some points from the American healthcare reform.
Lasser, Himmelstein, and Woolhandler (2006) conducted a thorough research where they compared and contrasted “health status, access to care, and utilization of medical services in the United States and Canada, and compared disparities according to race, income, and immigrant status” (p. 1). The researchers referred to 3505 Canadians and 5183 Americans in their research. Much attention was paid to gender, age, income, race, and immigration status.
The multivariate analysis was used. The research started in November 2002 and lasted up to the March 2003. The telephone survey was applied. Therefore, those who are too poor to have a telephone were undersampled. The researchers identified the age of the respondents, their income and race to compare and contrast the healthcare status. Moreover, the place of birth was considered along with the level of education.
The research gives a good picture for understanding of the relation of the countries to the healthcare of people and the equality in treatment. Neither America nor Canada provide equal healthcare for different layers of population. The difference is based on the income and race. Neither age more the place of birth affect the level of healthcare quality. Generally, Canadians get more quality healthcare than US citizens.
Pointing to some of the most misbalanced aspects in the research results, the following may be referred to. About 13.6% of Americans lead sedentary lifestyle, while the same mode of life is inherent to 6.5% of Canadians. The chronic illness prevalence in the USA and in Canada is as follows, about 6.7% of Americans have diabetes in comparison to 4.7% of Canadians. About 7% of Americans and Canadians suffer from asthma.
Hypertension bothers about 18.3% of Americans and 13.9% of Canadians. 17.9% of Americans suffer from arthritis in comparison to 16% of Canadians. Heart diseases are the reason for concern of 5.9% of Americans and 5.5% of Canadians. Major depression Americans and Canadians suffer during the in past year affect 8.7% and 8.2% respectively.
The general conclusions of the research are as follows, the Canadian healthcare is much better than the American one. The respondents in the USA reported about rare cases of regular doctor arrival, therefore, the unmet health needs in the USA were higher.
It is essential that Americans were more likely to refuse from needed medicine than Canadians. The differences in healthcare and treatment based on gender, age, income, race, and immigration status were noticed in both countries, however, more extreme cases were seen in the USA.
Reference List
Lasser, K. E., Himmelstein, D. U., & Woolhandler, S. (2006). Access to care, health status, and health disparities in the United States and Canada: Results of a cross-national population-based survey. American Journal of Public Health, 96(7), 1-8.