Healthcare Data: It's not the Plural of Anecdote

If you are tired of anecdotes and horror stories and want actual data with regard to health care in the US and how it compares to other countries, then check out this post and others in the series. Some of the data is downright stunning, particularly this little tidbit represented by the graph in the middle of the article:



Striking, isn't it? Yet surveys on satisfaction with the system show Americans twice as likely as citizens of other nations to desire a complete rebuilding of their system. So we pay by far the most, but we are among the least happy with what we get. And what do we get by way of response from those who think our system is just fine? Anecdotes. You never see charts and graphs of actual data from them (just like you never see it from those who deny global warming either). As the wise keep reminding us, the plural of anecdote is not data.