Most Americans Want Health Care Reform

"We now spend twice per capita what other developed nations spend on care, yet we die younger, have worse access to care, and are even behind on medical computerization," Woolhandler said. "These survey results are a clarion call for the health financing mechanism used elsewhere -- nonprofit national health insurance."

Kathleen D. Stoll, director of Health Policy at Families USA, thinks the survey reinforces what is already known about Americans' frustration with the current health care system.

"We have seen the number of uninsured rise. We have seen people facing higher out-of-pocket costs. We see layers of complications in terms of billing problems," she said. "All that adds up to an American public that is quite ready for health care reform."

In a separate report titledOrganizing the U.S. Health Care System for High Performance, The Commonwealth Fund outlined its strategies for improving the health care system.

Among the recommendations was moving away from fee-for-service payments and paying doctors and hospitals based on the quality of care. In addition, the report recommends patient incentives that reward them for choosing doctors and hospitals that provide the most efficient, highest quality care.

To achieve these goals, the report recommends removing barriers that prevent doctors from sharing essential information; accrediting doctors and hospitals based on quality measures; making patient information more available to doctors at the point of care; and enforcing clear accountability for patient care.

Moreover, doctors and other health care professionals should be trained to work as teams. And, switching to electronic health records should be mandated and supported by the federal government, according to the report.

More information

For more on health care reform, visit The Commonwealth Fund.

SOURCES: Cathy Schoen, senior vice president for research and evaluation, The Commonwealth Fund, New York City; Kathleen D. Stoll, director, health policy, Families USA, Washington, D.C.; Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and co-founder, Physicians for A National Health Program; Aug. 7, 2008, Commonwealth Fund reports,Public Views on U.S. Health Care System Organization: A Call for New Directions,Organizing The U.S. Health Care System for High Performance