Introduction
The US, according to Rogers (2012), is currently the highest spender in healthcare management around the world. With effective healthcare infrastructure, most of the developing nations see the US as an inspiration in some way. The comparison of the US’s healthcare system to a developing nation like Oman could be interesting owing to America’s hands-on experience in various fields. Different factors, according to Holtz (2008), determine America’s competitiveness. However, governance, management, and innovation are some of the factors that make America’s healthcare system unrivaled. This paper considers the Oman healthcare system given the distinct characteristics that the US and the Oman governments wield.
Health Statistics and Costs
The US
With a robust healthcare infrastructure, the US is a leading hub in keeping rich health statistics unrivalled in any part of the world (Rogers, 2012). The US’s healthcare insurance system continues to make healthcare costs affordable for households of all incomes.
Oman
While the Oman government puts adequate funding into the health sector, its economic size cannot compare to that of the US. Huge variations in healthcare spending exist; however, fund management remains a concern for most counties. Although life expectancy continues to increase in Oman, the country continues to face a number of vital healthcare concerns. Among the major health concerns in Oman include the impacts of environmental pollution on a predominantly urban population. Chronic diseases in Oman, as Holtz (2008) notes, account for nearly all the deadly diseases that consume lives in great numbers. The healthcare system in Oman is a generally public model, with government funding (Middle East Health, 2005). In the process of dealing with the environmental menace, Oman has always focused mainly on treatment, a concern that has given little priority on disease prevention.
Comparison
In both America and Oman, life expectancies have remained relatively high although these are reflected in different contexts. For instance, while America has made great advances in curbing mortality rates, Oman continues to struggle with infrastructural developments to make this dream a reality. In Oman, life expectancy averages at 74 years compared to America’s 80 years.
Health Care Financing
The US
The World Health Organization rates the US as the country with the highest healthcare spending and financing in the world. America’s healthcare funding is equivalent to 18% of its gross domestic product (GDP) with a per capita expenditure of $8,362 (World Health Organization, 2000). The recent Affordable Care Act has added a new lifeline in the provision of healthcare in America.
Oman
Oman is both a lower and upper middle-income country. Oman’s GDP per capita stands at US$7,850 today. Currently, the Ministry of Health accounts for 6% of health expenditure. Moreover, in both contexts, healthcare financing comes from the revenues collected by the state (Middle East Health, 2005).
Comparison
In both Oman and the US, the healthcare systems are government funded. Government spending in the US is at $4,435 per individual, while in Oman the ministry of health accounts for 5.70% of the total government expenditure.
Healthcare Administration
The US
Healthcare system in the US is greatly developed with the contribution of both the private and public sectors. Various sectors of the economy including the US government and the community hospitals partake of their share in healthcare administration (World Health Organization, 2000).
Oman
The healthcare system in Oman is under the management of resident quarters that guarantee universal healthcare to all people. The emigrants serving in the public sector are equally guaranteed of affordable healthcare. Oman is probably among the rapidly growing economies in Asia today. Alongside this economic growth has been the need for universal health insurance. For a decade now, Oman has gone through rigorous health insurance backed by the government. Previously, the intervention by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had been characterized by disruptions while the national health insurance (NHI) went through deficits in management.
Comparison
While healthcare administration in America is robust, the state of healthcare system in Oman has been wanting and the government has achieved very little in the past decade (Middle East Health, 2005). The NHI was a big success initially extended to every citizen in 1989, though it realized very little progress after the nation run into financial deficit during the recession.
Health Care Personnel and Facilities
The US
America boasts of the fastest-growing healthcare sector, which employs over 18 million healthcare personnel in various healthcare facilities in the region (Holtz, 2008). In the US, it is believed that the current developments in the health sector will undoubtedly create a surge in the professional nurses to alleviate the current shortages in care facilities.
Oman
In Oman, both the public and private health facilities provide standardized care to the population living in the region. Oman boasts of 166 government health facilities with 14 doctors and 36 nurses per 10,000-population cluster (Middle East Health, 2005). However, it is equally feared that as the economic hardship hits, a large number of Oman nurses might be relieved from their duties, leading to yet another period of shortage of professionals in nursing (Pittman, 2013).
Comparison
In both nations, the healthcare insurance covers that have lately received emphasis may increase the need for skilled nurses to deliver on various care provisions in Oman.
Conclusion
Virtually, all nations of the world have had a difficult experience with their healthcare systems. In much of the developing world, this experience continues to culminate into mortalities and unprecedented human suffering. Oman being one of the developing nations is no exception. On the other hand, the US healthcare system remains unrivaled in many fields. The World’s Superpower also leads other nations in funding the health sector, making it experience a low mortality rate.
References
Holtz, C. (2008). Global health care: Issues and policies. Sudbury, MA: Bartlett and Jones Publishers.
Middle East Health. (2005). Oman rapid progress. Web.
Pittman, P. (2013). Nursing Workforce Education, Migration and the Quality of Health Care. International Journal of Quality Health Care, 25(4), 349-351.
Rogers, S. (2012). Healthcare spending around the world, country by country. Web.
World Health Organization. (2000). World health report: World Health Organization assesses the world’s health systems. Web.