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released: 24 Apr 2012 author: AIHW

Comparisons of health between countries are popular and useful, and often attract media attention. This guide highlights the types of questions to ask before comparing countries and when presenting health data in an international context.

ISBN 978-1-74249-291-9; Cat. no. PHE 159; 25pp.; Internet Only

Publication

Publication table of contents

  • Preliminary material
    • Title and verso pages
    • Contents
    • Acknowledgments
    • Abbreviations
    • Summary
      • Why are international health comparisons so popular?
      • International comparisons can be complex
      • What this guide adds
      • Checklist for international comparisons of health
  • Body section
    • 1 Introduction
      • How can health be compared between countries?
      • Sources and uses of international health-related data
      • How this guide is structured
    • 2 Making comparisons: considerations and complexities
      • Data quality
      • Are the data defined consistently across countries?
      • Do all countries use the same method to collect the data?
      • Do the data cover similar parts of the population?
      • Do the data refer to the same time period?
      • Choice of countries
      • Are countries sufficiently similar to support comparison?
      • Presentation of results
      • Are the data presented appropriately?
      • Is the variation between countries adequately explained?
      • Are differences within countries considered?
      • Can the data be used outside of an international comparison?
    • 3 Conclusion
  • End matter
    • Appendix
      • Checklist for international comparisons of health-related data
    • References
    • List of tables
    • List of figures
    • List of boxes

Recommended citation

AIHW 2012. A working guide to international comparisons of health. Cat. no. PHE 159. Canberra: AIHW. Viewed 12 June 2013 <http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737421561>.