New Study: Rate of Preventable Deaths in U.S. Higher Than France, Germany, U.K.
<p>The United States lags three other industrialized nations, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, on a key measure of health system performance—potentially preventable deaths—according to a new study in <em>Health Affairs</em>. Moreover, the pace of improvement in preventing deaths that could have been avoided with timely and effective health care is slowest in the U.S., finds the <a href="/publications/journal-article/2012/aug/amenable-mortality-deaths-avoidable-through-health-care">Commonwealth Fund–supported analysis</a>. </p><p>Between 1999 and 2006–07, the overall potentially preventable death rate among males under age 75 dropped by 18.5 percent in the U.S., compared with nearly 37 percent in the U.K. For females, the rate fell by 17.5 percent in the U.S. but by nearly 32 percent in the U.K.</p>
<p>The gap was most pronounced among American men and women under age 65, who are more likely to be uninsured and have problems accessing care than those 65 and older, who are eligible for Medicare. </p>
<p>Visit <a href="/publications/journal-article/2012/aug/amenable-mortality-deaths-avoidable-through-health-care">commonwealthfund.org</a> to learn more about the study and view our infographic. </p>