Framework for a High Performance Health System for the United States

Despite spending the most on health care, the United States lags behind other industrialized nations on many dimensions of health system performance. Formed in July 2005, The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System seeks to chart a course for a U.S. health care system that provides significantly expanded access, higher quality, and greater efficiency for all Americans, especially those who are most vulnerable. In this consensus statement, the Commission defines “high performance” and outlines its vision of a uniquely American, high performance health system. It then identifies the most critical sources of our current system’s failures and offers a strategic framework for addressing them through specific actions. Support for this research was provided by The Commonwealth Fund. The views presented here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff. This report and other Fund publications are available online at www.cmwf.org. To learn more about new publications when they become available, visit the Fund’s Web site and register to receive e-mail alerts. Commonwealth Fund pub. no. 943.