Geographic variations in health care use in 13 OECD countries

1. GEOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS
IN HEALTH CARE USE
IN 13 OECD COUNTRIES
Geographic Variations in Health Care
What do we know and what can be done to improve health system
performance?
Released Tuesday 16 September 2014
http://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/medical-practice-variations.htm

2. Hospital medical admission rates vary by 2-
fold or more across countries and within
some countries
Hospital admission rates across and within selected OECD countries
(2011 or latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?, OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing.
DOI: 10.1787/9789264216594-en

3. Coronary bypass rates vary by more than 3-fold across
countries and by up to 6-fold within countries
Coronary bypass rates across and within a selected set of countries
(2011 or latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?

4. Coronary angioplasty rates vary by more than 3-fold
across countries and by up to 5-fold within countries
Angioplasty rates across and within a selected set of countries (2011 or
latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?

5. Admissions/surgery after hip fracture vary by 2-fold
across countries and by less than 2-fold within countries
Admissions/surgery rates across and within a selected set of countries
(2011 or latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?

6. Knee replacement rates vary by more than 4-fold
across countries and by more to 5-fold within
some countries
Knee replacement rates across and within a selected set of countries
(2011 or latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?

7. C-sections are on the rise & display high variations
across geographic areas in some countries
C-section rate across and within selected OECD countries (2011 or
latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?

8. Variations in hysterectomy rates are relatively
high, in a context of declining use
Hysterectomy rates across and within a selected set of OECD countries
(2011 or latest year)
Source: OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care: What Do We Know and What Can Be
Done to Improve Health System Performance?

9. Further information
OECD (2014), Geographic Variations in Health Care:
What Do We Know and What Can Be Done to
Improve Health System Performance?, OECD Health
Policy Studies, OECD Publishing.
DOI: 10.1787/9789264216594-en
Contacts
Divya Srivastava (divya.srivastava@oecd.org)
Valérie Paris (valerie.paris@oecd.org)
Gaetan Lafortune (gaetan.lafortune@oecd.org)
Annalisa Belloni (annalisa.belloni@oecd.org)
Website: http://www.oecd.org/health/health-systems/medical-practice-variations.htm