Rob Cheng’s Blog

Having lived in both Brazil and the US, it truly gives an interesting perspective in the differences between two country’s health systems. Here are some of my observations. I am going to assume that the people reading this article are familiar with the American health care system, so I will just point out the differences.

Test Results. In Brazil, you go to a separate lab to have all of your tests done. Personally, I have had blood work, urine exams, X Rays, and ultra sounds all done in Brazil. The key point is that it is a separate entity. More importantly, they give YOU the test results, and it is up to YOU to get them to the doctor, if you wish. They also put all of your test results on the internet, and you can give your doctor your password to access your records. Over a period of time, you get used to reading your own test results and spotting key indices.

Compare this to the US. Have you ever noticed that when the nurse takes your blood pressure, she writes it down but does not tell you the result? The assumption is that the doctor will interpret the results and inform you if necessary. It’s upside down.

Pharmacy Visits. In Brazil, almost all drugs are available over the counter. The only exception are addictive drugs such as Valium and Oxycontin. It’s happened so many times in the US, that I knew that I had an infection, and I just needed to go to the doctor so he could prescribe some anti biotics. I also have found the pharmacists far more knowledgable. If you have a certain ailment, you can just go straight to the pharmacy, and the pharmacist will recommend a medication (or give you an shot.)

On top of this, you can get in and out of the pharmacy quickly. Literally in minutes. Compare that the United States. I have no idea what they are doing, but it takes a minimum of 30 minutes to get your medications in the US.

The Doctors. To be honest, I think that the face of medicine in the United States has changed considerably. The doctors are seem so slammed nowadays. They run, and they barely have time to ask the more relevant questions before they have to run off to the next patient. In Brazil, it is much more like the United States when I was younger. Although you still have to wait a long time in the waiting room, the doctors are always patient, and make sure all of your questions are answered. All of my doctors in Brazil have also given me their personal cell phone numbers. To be honest, the Brazil methodology makes me feel more comfortable. I always try to be well prepared when I go to the doctor, but because the American doctor is always so rushed, I worry that we’ll miss something important.

Don’t forget that your health is your own. My wife shops doctors a lot. She wants to get several opinions before determining her course of action.

I have a lot of different thoughts about the root issues, but from a patient’s perspective those are the key differences in health care in the two countries.

July 10th, 2007 | Category: Brazil, Health | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL