What American healthcare trends mean to China

In my position as chief medical officer for Perot Systems, I have traveled extensively in the US discussing healthcare. Recently, I had the opportunity of visiting several cities in China. While there, I was struck by the similar challenges our countries face, as well as the proposed solutions.

China and the US both are technologically advanced nations. We have outstanding capabilities in terms of providing care for those who have access to care, but with the economic pressures in the world today, we are experiencing obstacles getting that care to all citizens. With this challenge comes an enormous opportunity, and from my perspective, our nations will seize this opportunity only with a committed investment in a national health IT infrastructure.

Today, the US is challenged by three critical issues in healthcare: escalating costs, variable quality and uneven access to medical care. Currently, healthcare represents 17.6 percent of GDP, and without intervention, it is expected to rise to 20.3 percent by 2018. Despite this extraordinary level of spending, the quality of care patients get is below what is available in many other nations that spend far less.