title: Variations in amenable mortality--trends in 16 high-income nations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been growing interest in the comparison of health system performance within and between countries, using a range of different indicators. This study examines trends in amenable mortality, as one measure of health system performance, in sixteen high-income countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Amenable mortality was defined as premature death from causes that should not occur in the presence of timely and effective health care. We analysed age-standardised rates of amenable mortality under age 75 in 16 countries for 1997/1998 and 2006/2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amenable mortality remains an important contributor to premature mortality in 16 high-income countries, accounting for 24% of deaths under age 75. Between 1997/1998 and 2006/2007, amenable mortality fell by between 20.5% in the US and 42.1% in Ireland (average decline: 31%). In 2007, amenable mortality in the US was almost twice that in France, which had the lowest levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amenable mortality continues to fall across high-income nations although the USA is lagging increasingly behind other high income countries. Despite its many limitations, amenable mortality remains a useful indicator to monitor progress of nations.
authors.affiliation: RAND Europe, Cambridge, United Kingdom. enolte@rand.org
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nolte
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McKee
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D019049:Developed Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors