Date of Award

4-3-1981

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The problem of providing adequate health care is basically economic. We simply do not have enough human and material resources to satisfy all of our desires relating to health. They ar~ not unlike any other wants in their satiability. Wl~ are therefore obliged as a I society to make the most efficient use of these resources that is possible.This work focuses on the delivery of, or the supply side of the health care industry. It investigates the nature and magnitude,of health care supply in the nation as a whole, while at the same time pointing out considerations particular to North Dakota. From this vantage point, the work moves into an inventory of the various alternatives to health care delivery that have been advanced. I then put forth my opinion of the direction that health care delivery should take.Before commencing, I wish to make additional comments which will add insight into the motivation behind this work. As we will see, a great deal of money is spent on health care in the United States. Yet, Americans are not the world's healthiest people.Two indicators used to measure quality of h~alth care are the rate of infant mortality and life expectancy. In spite of the money spent, the United States ranks thirteenth in infant mortality.short, twelve other nations have a better rL\cord of preserving human life in the infant years. When it comes to life expectancy the record is even worse. United States Department of Commerce statistics show that in 21 other nations people live longer Of courset good health results largely from lifestyle, and lifestyle is a personal judgement, However, it is clear that just spending money on health is not the answer. Certain inefficiencies exist in our present health care delivery system, and this work attempts to enumerate them, and evaluates the alte;rnatives therein

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