Posted by: AtlasMD

November 22, 2013

Food For Thought – Dutch Healthcare

It feels like the sky is perpetually falling on the American healthcare system. And yes, the first part of solving a problem is admitting you have one. But, we came across an NPR article discussing some things the Dutch do differently than we do. Really, it isn’t a question of whether one of us is doing it better than the other. Instead it’s that these differences could suggest our different value systems.

Take this quote, for example: “The Dutch like their health care system and feel comfortable with it, polls show, even when things don’t go exactly as they want.” This aligns with the Dutch’s values of pragmatism and stoicism.

In the Netherlands, many women try to have their babies at home. NPR claims that is because “[Dutch women] view giving birth as something that should be natural, not medical.” And services across the country align with this idea. In Amsterdam there’s a center for pregnant women that combines a spa, shopping center and school — not something we’ve heard of here in the States.

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