The research is based on the Commonwealth Fund’s 2020 International Health Policy Survey, which included responses from Americans as well as residents of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The report said U.S. policymakers should look to other countries to “determine the factors that contribute to geographic health disparities and policies and practices to improve health equity.” The report outlined four things the U.S. can learn:
1. Guarantee every person has access to health insurance: The U.S. was the only country surveyed without a universal healthcare system.
2. Location matters when talking about access to care: A study found that most rural residents in the U.K. have long commutes in physicians’ offices, which resulted in the establishment of community pharmacies to allow patients to get same-day care for minor illnesses.
3. Use telehealth: Canada does not have significant disparities in health and healthcare between rural and urban residents. The country has used telehealth to reach its more remote populations.
4. Recruit and retain healthcare workers in rural areas: The Australian government created 19 clinical schools throughout the country over a 15-year period that require at least 25 percent of students to come from rural areas and at least 25 percent to practice in rural settings for a minimum of one year.
Read the full report here.
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