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Interesting
Health Facts for 2003
From the 2003 year end wrap
up of the American Medical News comes an interesting section with some
very interesting facts. Some of these facts may be startling and may not
be generally known. Much of health care information available today does
not reflect the facts. So we will attempt to sort out some truth from the
sea of fiction. Below is a list and explanation of just some of the most
interesting health facts for 2003.
- 47 million adults in the U.S. are
smokers. While most of the adult smokers in
the country say they would like to quit, only 5% manage to do so each
year.
- About 8% of the adult population and 5%
to 9% of children are affected by serious mental illness.
- Asthma is the No. 1 reason for school
absenteeism. In all 4 million children have an
asthma attack each year.
- Only 22 states have
regulations or guidelines on office-based procedures. During a two-year
span, patients in Florida were 10 times more likely to die or be injured
in surgeries performed at doctors' offices than those performed at
surgical centers.
- Only 38% of health
professionals get annual flu shots. (What does that tell you?)
- Medication errors
cost the health care system more than $1 billion a year.
- Only 2 states have
laws requiring doctors to write legible prescriptions.
- Only about 10% of
Americans die a sudden death. The other 90% experience a steady decline
in health punctuated by a short "terminal phase" of rapid decline.
- Although 20 states
have some type of mandatory system for reporting medical errors, 90% of
adverse drug reactions go unreported.
- By 2030, 1 of every 5
Americans, will be 65 or older.
- Childhood vaccines
were 38 times more expensive in 2001 than in 1975.
- $1.4 trillion was
spent on health care in 2001, about $5,000 per person.
- 70% of older teens
have used the Internet to look up health information.
- Administrative costs
account for 40% of the price of an individually purchased health plan.
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