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Health care expenditure in the Nordic countries

Gerdtham, Ulf G. LU orcid and Jönsson, Bengt (1994) In Health Policy 26(3). p.207-220
Abstract

International comparisons of health care expenditure are associated with many different kinds of problems. One type of problem is due to heterogeneous definitions and to difficulties with conversion to common prices. Such problems are present also if one selects homogeneous countries as, for example, the Nordic countries, which have a similar GDP per capita and social system. In this paper we compare the health care expenditure in the Nordic countries to illustrate the significance of these problems in international comparisons. We also correct the latest available OECD statistics for local nursing homes, which are not included in health care expenditure for Denmark but are included for the other Nordic countries, and also for the care... (More)

International comparisons of health care expenditure are associated with many different kinds of problems. One type of problem is due to heterogeneous definitions and to difficulties with conversion to common prices. Such problems are present also if one selects homogeneous countries as, for example, the Nordic countries, which have a similar GDP per capita and social system. In this paper we compare the health care expenditure in the Nordic countries to illustrate the significance of these problems in international comparisons. We also correct the latest available OECD statistics for local nursing homes, which are not included in health care expenditure for Denmark but are included for the other Nordic countries, and also for the care of the mentally retarded, which is not included in health care expenditure for Denmark or, after 1985, for Sweden. In addition, comparisons of health care expenditure are presented with different currency conversion factors. The comparisons show, for example, that Sweden has a higher expenditure share of gross domestic product (GDP) than Denmark, even after corrections have been made, but that the difference between the countries becomes considerably smaller, from 37%, higher expenditure for Sweden without correction to 12-15% after correction.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aggregate analysis, Health care expenditure, International comparisons, Nordic countries
in
Health Policy
volume
26
issue
3
pages
14 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:10133132
  • scopus:0028270053
ISSN
0168-8510
DOI
10.1016/0168-8510(94)90040-X
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
84ff969f-f484-481c-98ff-0b7542c56a36
date added to LUP
2018-10-09 12:38:35
date last changed
2024-01-15 03:35:22
@article{84ff969f-f484-481c-98ff-0b7542c56a36,
  abstract     = {{<p>International comparisons of health care expenditure are associated with many different kinds of problems. One type of problem is due to heterogeneous definitions and to difficulties with conversion to common prices. Such problems are present also if one selects homogeneous countries as, for example, the Nordic countries, which have a similar GDP per capita and social system. In this paper we compare the health care expenditure in the Nordic countries to illustrate the significance of these problems in international comparisons. We also correct the latest available OECD statistics for local nursing homes, which are not included in health care expenditure for Denmark but are included for the other Nordic countries, and also for the care of the mentally retarded, which is not included in health care expenditure for Denmark or, after 1985, for Sweden. In addition, comparisons of health care expenditure are presented with different currency conversion factors. The comparisons show, for example, that Sweden has a higher expenditure share of gross domestic product (GDP) than Denmark, even after corrections have been made, but that the difference between the countries becomes considerably smaller, from 37%, higher expenditure for Sweden without correction to 12-15% after correction.</p>}},
  author       = {{Gerdtham, Ulf G. and Jönsson, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{0168-8510}},
  keywords     = {{Aggregate analysis; Health care expenditure; International comparisons; Nordic countries}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{207--220}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Health Policy}},
  title        = {{Health care expenditure in the Nordic countries}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0168-8510(94)90040-X}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/0168-8510(94)90040-X}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{1994}},
}