Investigating the Impacts of Globalization on Healthcare Around the Globe

Presenter

Elizabeth J. Kirkman

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Deepika Marya, Honors College, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A6, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Globalization has had a positive impact on the integration of people, companies, and governments worldwide, and ideas and innovations are being shared constantly. Competition and the rise of capitalism has also emerged from this revolution. This research paper analyzes the ways in which different government structures and their respective healthcare systems operating in and outside capitalism perform when they are connected to the overall goal of profit maximization, or a lack thereof in the field of medicine. The three countries that will be analyzed are the United States, Germany, and Cuba. The US is a capitalist economy that utilizes a privatized corporate model, whereas Germany is a capitalist economy that uses a socialized medicine model for delivering healthcare. Cuba is a socialist country, and there is a strong emphasis on preventative care in Cuba rather than treatment; there are a multitude of community health measures to support local populations around the country to stay healthy. Contrary to what is often assumed, the health outcomes of a country aren’t reflective of the money that is put into the system; the United States routinely spends the most money out of any other country on healthcare but has a lower life expectancy rate compared to most other high-income countries. The findings of this research indicate that the goal of profitability in a healthcare system creates  higher medical bills for patients, and an emphasis on a preventative care healthcare model over costly treatments has enormous impacts on the health and longevity of a population. 

Keywords

Globalization, Healthcare Systems , Privatization , Prevention

Research Area

Globalization and Development

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