Despite the United States spending a projected 17.9 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care in 2017—10,739 dollars per person—the system is underperforming relative to that investment. This is one of the factors accelerating systemwide efforts to introduce new ways of performing traditional clinical tasks more efficiently and cost-effectively.
- While the US spends twice as much on health than all other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, the country falls below the OECD average in life expectancy gains.
- Unnecessary care wastes roughly 30 percent of total US health expenditures per year, exceeding $1 trillion annually, as administrative overhead consumes 25 percent of US hospital expenditures.
- More than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical errors, now the third leading cause of death in the US.
- Seventy percent of Americans surveyed cite the US health care system as being "in a state of crisis" or having "major problems."
Physician burnout, an evolving care model, and technology advances are also reshaping the role of the physician to drive future value.