Keywords
Citation
(2003), "UK. International Health Comparisons Compendium", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 16 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2003.06216dab.007
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
UK. International Health Comparisons Compendium
UK
International Health Comparisons Compendium
Keywords: International, Health-care systems, Health, Personnel, Audit
The National Audit Office has prepared a Compendium of published information on health-care systems, health-care provision and health achievements in ten countries: Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden and the USA. The compendium was compiled at the request of members of the Committee of Public Accounts and sets out relative positions and trends over time. The main data source is OECD Health Data 2002, although other sources were used. The data sources used are not fully compatible and, in particular, coverage, definitions and timing vary across countries. The Compendium does not examine the causes of differences between countries and nor can conclusions about them be reached on the basis of just the information presented. These issues are discussed in Part 1 of the report.
Part 2 deals with healthcare systems in the various countries, outlining expenditures and financing arrangements. Part 3, Providing Healthcare, deals with health personnel, the medical infrastructure, medicines and drugs, medical procedures carried out, and preventative medical programmes. Part 4 provides information on life expectancy, infant and perinatal mortality, the main causes of death, health outcomes and the performance of health-care systems.
The health of the population in any particular country depends on a range of factors such as lifestyle, standard of living and nutritional standards, as well as on healthcare provided. It is therefore not possible to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of different health systems on the basis of raw data. The Compendium simply provides a starting point for discussions on and further exploration of the relative performance of such systems.
Further information: the Compendium is available on the National Audit Office Web site: www.nao.gov.uk