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We all know that the United States is a pretty good place to live. But is it a good place to die?
Agreed, that’s a pretty morbid question. But it’s one that The Economist’s Intelligence Unit recently asked.
The Quality of Death Index 2015 ranked 80 counties based on the quality of palliative care, looking at factors like affordability, quality and availability.
The United States ranked No. 9 on the list, just behind the Netherlands. The United Kingdom topped the list. But the study identified several ways for even the top ranking countries to improve.
In regard to the United States, “Our health systems focus on diagnosing and treating diseases and are demonstrably negligent in meeting the needs of patients and families going through these difficult experiences,” says Ira Byock, executive director and chief medical officer of the Institute for Human Caring at Providence Health & Services.
Read the full report here.
Top 10
- U.K.
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Taiwan
- Germany
- Netherlands
- U.S.
- France