Avrupa ülkelerinin sağlık göstergeleri ve sağlık harcamalarının kümeleme analizi ile karşılaştırılması

Abstract

The main purpose of health systems is to ensure citizens utilize the health services by adequately and effectively. As the quantity and the quality of health services are improved, health indicators such as quality of life and life expectancy at birth are also improved. Health indicators and health care expenditures allow policy makers to compare health systems and to monitor and evaluate the current situation of the health systems. The main reason behind the international comparison of health indicators and expenditures is to enable countries to benchmark successful health systems. In this context, the aim of this study was to compare health indicators and health expenditures of 28 European Union (EU) countries, 6 EU candidate countries and 3 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries by cluster analysis method. As a result of the clustering analysis, the countries were grouped under 3 clusters. The public, private and out-of-pocket health expenditure per capita averages of the first cluster, which Turkey was included in, was the lowest among three clusters. It was determined that the cluster in which Turkey was placed falled behind other two clusters in terms of life expectancy at birth, number of physicians and nurses, maternal mortality rate, and smoking ratio health indicator averages.