Data focusing on certain crucial aspects of the American healthcare system reveals surprising paradoxes. Some highlights:

• The U.S. is spectacularly successful at innovation, patenting nearly three times as many medical devices as the next ten countries combined.
• The country also has the highest cost of healthcare per capita in the world.
• Ironically, while improvements in many fields of medical technology have been noteworthy, some basic systems remain woefully behind the times, leading to unnecessary spending.
• Example: During the two years prior to a study, 17% of physicians reported ordering duplicate tests (incidentally, the same number reporting that medical records did not arrive in time for a patient's appointment).