The Health Crazies

One of the most interesting — and in demand — career fields is public health. Public health has become such a big deal lately because of debates over health care in the U.S., as well as continued efforts to educate the citizens about the lack of access to healthcare in many developing nations.

Because we are a society that likes to see how we are doing in relation to others, healthcare rankings are becoming rather commonplace. If you are interested in seeing how healthcare is addressed around the world, here are 25 rankings, including infographics, that can help you make sense of your place in the world of healthcare:

Healthcare Infographics

These interesting infographics help you visualize various healthcare rankings, and can help you see just where your country of residence sits.

1. Global Health-Care Snapshot: Presents a ranking of countries by how much they spend as a percent of GDP. Includes comparisons of costs in 1980 and in 2006 so that you can see where health care costs have grown the most. Includes helpful information on how people are insured in developed countries, and tabs that illustrate life expectancy and infant mortality.
2. Health Care Expenditures: An International Comparison: This infographic ranks different expenditures on healthcare by country. Expenditures considered include nursing homes, administration, medications, hospitals and more. An interesting way to break down healthcare costs.
3. U.S. Healthcare Quality: Get a look at how countries are ranked in terms of health care quality. This infographic looks at different factors related to quality, and ranks different countries.
4. National Health Care Spending Levels: A Global Comparison: Ranks different countries on their levels of health care spending, figuring it as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). Also breaks down spending in different categories.
5. Global Health Indicators: The World Health Organization offers an interesting look at progress made in healthcare over a period of years. This infographic ranks different countries, and shows where the most improvement has been made.
6. Share of Government Expenditures on Health Care: This ranking shows which countries spend the most on healthcare. It rankings government expenditures, but does not really rank the quality of healthcare.
7. World Health: Interested in seeing which countries are most efficient in their healthcare expenses? This infographic shows rankings for efficiency in healthcare, illustrating how many people can be treated with expenditures in healthcare in each country. A great idea of who is getting the most bang for their healthcare bucks.
8. Cost of Care: This controversial infographic ranks countries by how much is spent on healthcare in relation to life expectancy. This infographic shows which countries have more effective healthcare expenditures, as shown by better life expectancy.
9. Number of Health Workers: You can get an idea of which countries rank better in healthcare by looking at this infographic. See where there are higher densities of healthcare workers, leading to better health outcomes.
10. Growth Rate of Healthcare Costs, 1990-2007: A visual ranking of different countries around the world and how their healthcare costs increased over a 17 year period. A way to quickly rank countries according to healthcare cost increases.
11. Adult Mortality Rate: A stark ranking for different countries, according to the likelihood of death between the ages of 15 and 60.
12. The World’s Best Countries: An interactive infographic that allows you to see where different countries rank in various categories. One of them is health care. See where the U.S. stands in terms of healthcare in relation to other countries.
13. World Hunger: Considers world hunger, and ranks countries according to how well their people are fed. An interesting look at this aspect of health.
14. GLOBAL poverty distribution – infant mortality as a poverty indicator: This infographic shows the prevalence of poverty in concert with infant mortality. Where there is poverty, there is often less access to healthcare and health services. This infographic offers a great ranking of poverty — and insight into areas of the world where healthcare is probably lacking.

Healthcare Rankings and Studies

Learn more about different rankings offered by different organizations, as well as find studies related to healthcare comparisons.

15. The world health report 2000 – Health systems: improving performance: In 2000, the World Health Organization famously published a ranking of all the health systems in the world. This is one of the most cited global healthcare rankings — even though many protested at the ranking of the U.S. at 37.
16. World Health Report 2008 [PDF]: A look at the state of world health in 2008, and including rankings of how the citizens of different countries feel about their access to health services.
17. Mercer 2010 Quality of Living: This survey looks at different factors, including healthcare, that affect quality of life. It looks at different ways to rank countries, and ranks cities according to quality of life.
18. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: An International Update on the Performance of American Health Care: This interesting study from the Commonwealth Fund offers a look at how the U.S. ranks in healthcare performance as compared to other developed countries. It looks ranks different countries in different areas of healthcare performance, and examines why the U.S. system costs so much.
19. HIV/AIDS and Women’s Health: Includes rankings of different countries and their efforts to deal with the problem of HIV/AIDS and women’s health. An interesting look at where the biggest issues are.
20. Maternal and Perinatal Conditions: This report ranks countries with regard to the type of care women — especially pregnant women — get. It’s an interesting look at what can be done to improve conditions in the developing world.
21. Global mortality, disability, and the contribution of risk factors: Global Burden of Disease Study: An interesting global ranking of mortality and disability, and how different countries are affected by the burdens associated with these issues.
22. The Public Versus The World Health Organization on Health System Performance: An interesting ranking of the WHO rankings. A look at how the public views global healthcare rankings.
23. Surgery and Global Health: A View Beyond the OR: A look at global healthcare and surgery. Considers where the best surgical advancements are, and addresses the lack of surgical care as a factor in global healthcare rankings.
24. Multiple-informant ranking of the disabling effects of different health conditions in 14 countries: A study that looks at how different countries rank when their health conditions are seen as contributing to different disabling situations.
25. Priority setting in health care: Lessons from the experiences of eight countries: A rather interesting look at how different countries rank in healthcare outcomes, based on their priorities.

Tagged as: Global Health, global helath rankings, Healthcare, healthcare rankings, public health