Last update:
08-Jul-2004

A comparative study of the health systems of 10 developed countries is presented. Specifically, various indicators such as health services, hospital availability and functional ability and human resource indicators are examined as well as the structure and functions of primary health care, in France, Germany, Greece, USA, Spain, Italy, Canada, Great Britain, Holland and Sweden. It becomes evident from the various country comparisons that there is a gradual abandonment of traditional organizational models while adoption of mixed models with a peripheral administrative structure is prevailing. There is also an increase in health expenditures, primarily private health expenditures, which in certain countries, for instance the USA and Greece, are highly compared to the GNP (7.2% and 3.9% respectively). In most countries the majority of hospitals are public and non-profit institutions. Bed sufficiency indicators show wide fluctuations (from 10.8/1000 residents in Holland to 3.6/1000 residents in Sweden) primarily because of differences in the number of beds for chronically ill patients. The number of bed-days are estimated to be from 1.1 in Spain and the USA to 3.6 in Holland. In most countries hospitals are paid based on a global perspective budget system. There is a general doctor system which prevails in the area of primary health care in six countries. These doctors are public servants or contracted private employees. A system of health centers also functions in four of these countries, which along with general doctors constitute the primary controllers of the consumption of health services. Concerning human resources, overavailability of doctors is noted in South Europe and at the same time an inadequate number of nursing personnel.

Key words: Health expenditures, Health systems.