Publications & Documents

21-September-2023

English

Health Information Infrastructure

OECD Health Ministers welcomed the Recommendation of the OECD Council on Health Data Governance at their meeting in Paris on 17 January 2017. The Recommendation lays out the framework conditions to encourage greater availability and processing of health data within countries and across borders for health-related public policy objectives, while ensuring that risks to privacy and security are minimised and appropriately managed.

21-September-2023

English

Health Expenditure

Latest OECD estimates point to average health expenditure growth of 5% in 2020, driven by the exceptionally high growth in spending by government and compulsory schemes (+8.1%) in response to the additional needs to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Preliminary estimates for a group of 17 countries suggest that health spending increased by around 6% on average in 2021, according to OECD Health Statistics 2022, released in July 2022.

21-September-2023

English

Digital health

OECD work covers digital strategy, health data governance, health workforce policy, telemedicine/telehealth and artificial intelligence, among other topics.

21-September-2023

English

Health Working Papers

The OECD Health Working Papers series is designed to make available to a wider readership health studies prepared for use within the OECD.

21-September-2023

English

Assessing the future fiscal sustainability of health spending in Ireland

This working paper uses a new method to assess the fiscal sustainability of the Irish health system by considering the effects of population change and income growth on both government revenue and health spending over time. Spending on healthcare is comparatively high in Ireland, accounting for 8.4% of GNI in 2019. Health spending from public sources is projected to account for 24% of government revenues in 2040 (up from 20% in 2019). The fiscal balance is projected to slightly deteriorate in Ireland by 2040. Population change is projected to be a much greater driver of future health spending in Ireland over the next 20 years as compared to the OECD average. By coupling health spending projections with government revenue projections, our approach provides policymakers with a broader set of whole-of-government policies to consider when addressing financing shortfalls.

21-September-2023

English

Progress on implementing and using electronic health record systems - Developments in OECD countries as of 2021

Electronic Health Records (eHR) represent a significant digital transformation in the healthcare sector. A 2021 OECD survey of 27 countries revealed a growing adoption of eHRs. However, system fragmentation remains a concern: only 15 countries have a nationally unified system. Twenty-four countries have adopted a minimum data set for standardized core health information. While patient access to eHRs has notably increased since 2016, obstacles such as provider resistance, technical barriers, and legal hurdles continue to exist. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the pivotal role of eHRs, particularly in vaccine tracking and post-market surveillance, highlighting the pressing need for international cooperation to maximize the benefits of eHRs in healthcare. Furthermore, as eHRs integrate with artificial intelligence, new governance challenges arise.

15-September-2023

English

Patient Safety

Patient safety is a critical policy issue and remains an important challenge to all OECD health systems. Many adverse events leading to harm could have been prevented if appropriate safety protocols and clinical guidelines were followed.

14-September-2023

English

Health Policies

The OECD Health Division analyses health systems' performance and studies policy options to address shortcomings in performance. Browse the list of current analytical projects within the Health Division.

14-September-2023

English

Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex issue of global concern with potentially dramatic health and economic consequences. The OECD provides a forum for discussion and provide countries with the evidence to implement effective and cost-effective policies to tackle AMR, promote effective use of antimicrobials and incentivise research and development in the antibiotic sector.

14-September-2023

English

Embracing a One Health Framework to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – the ability of microbes to resist antimicrobials – remains an alarming global health threat. This is despite the efforts made by OECD and EU/EEA countries to curtail it. Unless additional effective interventions are scaled up quickly, AMR rates are forecasted to increase in the next three decades across OECD and EU/EEA countries, with costs exceeding the healthcare expenditure on the COVID-19 pandemic. Using microsimulation and machine-learning techniques, this report analyses critical policy levers to inform the next generation of AMR initiatives. It shows that tackling the detrimental health and economic impact of AMR requires embracing a One Health framework – a collaborative, trans-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach that promotes close co-operation and collaboration across human health, animal health, agrifood systems and the environment. This report identifies 11 One Health 'best buys' that, if implemented systematically, would improve population health, reduce health expenditure and generate positive returns for the economy.

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