Available to read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vhri.2015.03.013 

Cook, G. & Kim, H. (2015). From regulatory approval to subsidized patient access in the Asia-Pacific region: A comparison of systems across Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Thailand. Value in Health Regional Issues, 6, 40–45.

These case studies establish the context of primary care in each country; the key governance and economic conditions; the development of the primary care workforce; how primary care services are delivered; and an assessment of the quality and efficiency of the primary-care system.

The report is available to download and read in free full text at:  http://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us/partners/observatory/publications/studies/building-primary-care-in-a-changing-europe-case-studies

Kringos, D., et al. (2015). Building primary care in a changing Europe: Case studies. Brussels: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

This volume reports on the first stage of the project, presenting results from a series of country case studies produced by national authors from seven countries in the region, including New Zealand. 

To read the document, go to:  http://www.wpro.who.int/asia_pacific_observatory/country_comparative_studies/ccs_public_hospital_governance/en/

Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (2015). Public health governance in Asia and Pacific. D. Huntington & K. Hort (Eds.). Comparative Country Studies, 1(1).

They conclude that "the aging and growth of the population resulted in an increase in global cardiovascular deaths between 1990 and 2013, despite a decrease in age-specific death rates in most regions. Only Central and Western Europe had gains in cardiovascular health that were sufficient to offset these demographic forces". 

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1406656 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Roth, G.A., et al. (2015). Demographic and epidemiologic drivers of global cardiovascular mortality. The New England Journal of Medicine, 372:1333-1341.

The key themes are: equity of access to care; timeliness, person-centredness and safety; efficiency of care; effectiveness of care.

The overview is available to read in free full text at:  http://www.health.org.uk/publications/how-does-the-nhs-compare-with-health-systems-in-other-countries/

Access to the full text of the articles is free but registration is required on the Lancet site. 

To read the full abstract and for information on how to access the full text, go to:   http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60264-1/fulltext

Bilano, V., et al. (2015). Global trends and projections for tobacco use, 1990–2025: An analysis of smoking indicators from the WHO Comprehensive Information Systems for Tobacco Control. The Lancet, 385(9972), 966–976.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.3399/bjgp15X684109 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Each overview covers health insurance, public and private financing, health system organization and governance, health care quality and coordination, disparities, efficiency and integration, use of information technology and evidence-based practice, cost containment, and recent reforms and innovations.

In addition, summary tables provide data on a number of key health system characteristics and performance indicators, including overall health care spending, hospital spending and utilization, health care access, patient safety, care coordination, chronic care management, disease prevention, capacity for quality improvement, and public views.

To read the report in full text, go to: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2015/jan/international-profiles-2014

This review article is open access and available to read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12804

Duke, T., Kado, J. H., Auto, J., Amini, J. and Gilbert, K. (2015). Closing the gaps in child health in the Pacific: An achievable goal in the next 20 years. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 51: 54–60. 

Using WHO's Reports on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, the authors analysed the effect of varying levels of comprehensive tobacco control (2008 MPOWER composite score) on tobacco smoking between 2006 and 2009 in a global context.

The Scorecard measures progress on the Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) adopted by UN member states in 2011 as well as other global diabetes commitments and priorities. The Scorecard contains the views of IDF’s Member Associations on how far their national governments have progressed by December 2013 and sets the baseline for future monitoring.

To download the Global Diabetes Scorecard in full text, go to:  http://www.idf.org/global-diabetes-scorecard/

Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries  (including from New Zealand) for 25·7 million adults (age 15—99 years) and 75 000 children (age 0—14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995—2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. 

5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005—09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15—19% in North America, and as low as 7—9% in Mongolia and Thailand.

Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10—20% between 1995—99 and 2005—09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995—99 and 2005—09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005—09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005—09 was high (54—58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18—23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease.

The authors conclude that these trends reveal very wide differences, which are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. 

This is an open access article and can be read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62038-9

Allemani, C., et al. (2015). Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995—2009: Analysis of individual data for 25 676 887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2). The Lancet, 385(9972), 977–1010.

The paper can be downloaded and read in free full text at:  http://www.who.int/cancer/publications/mammography_screening/en/

This article is available to read in free full text at: http://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/S2211-8160(14)00019-2/fulltext

Cooper, L.T., et al. (2014). The global burden of myocarditis. Part 1: A systematic literature review for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2010 Study. Global Heart, 9(1), 121–129.

This article is available to read in free full text at: http://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/S2211-8160(13)00213-5/fulltext

Sampson, U.K.A., et al. (2014). Global and regional burden of aortic dissection and aneurysms  Mortality trends in 21 world regions, 1990 to 2010. Global Heart, 9(1), 171–180.e10.

This article is available to read in free full text at: http://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/S2211-8160(14)00014-3/fulltext

Bin Abdulhak, A.A., et al. (2014). Global and regional burden of infective endocarditis, 1990–2010: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Global Heart, 9(1), 131-143.

This article is available to read in free full text at: http://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/S2211-8160(14)00016-7/fulltext

Bennett, D. A., et al. (2014). The global burden of hemorrhagic stroke:  A summary of findings from the GBD 2010 Study. Global Heart, 9(1), 113-119.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gheart.2014.01.003 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Bennett, D. A., et al. (2014). The global burden of hemorrhagic stroke:  A summary of findings from the GBD 2010 Study. Global Heart, 9(1), 101-106.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gheart.2014.01.001 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Bennett, D. A., et al. (2014). The global burden of ischemic stroke: Findings of the GBD 2010 Study. Global Heart, 9(1), 107–112.

Despite these issues, Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific 2014 reveals that life expectancy at birth across 22 Asian countries reached 73.4 years on average in 2012, a gain of about seven years since 1990. In comparison, OECD countries gained 5.3 years during the same period.

But a large regional divide persists: the country with the longest life expectancy is Hong Kong, China with 83.3 years for both men and women. Japan, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Macau, China also exceeded 80 years for total life expectancy.

In contrast, eleven countries in the Asia/Pacific region had total life expectancies of less than 70 years, and in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, a child born in 2012 can expect to live an average of less than or equal to 65 years of life.

The report also reveals the high prevalence of diabetes in Asia/Pacific, which accounted for over 60% of the 5.1 million deaths worldwide caused by the disease in 2013. About 215 million people live with diabetes in the region and half of them are undiagnosed and unaware of developing long-term complications.

To read the full media release from the OECD, go to:  http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/asia-pacific-countries-need-to-improve-affordable-access-to-healthcare.htm

The report is available to read in free full text at: http://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance-asia-pacific-23054964.htm

Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15—99 years) and 75 000 children (age 0—14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995—2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. The authors looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. 

5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005—09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15—19% in North America, and as low as 7—9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10—20% between 1995—99 and 2005—09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995—99 and 2005—09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005—09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005—09 was high (54—58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18—23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease.

This is an open access article and can be read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)62038-9

Allemani, C., et al. (2015). Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995—2009: Analysis of individual data for 25 676 887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2). The Lancet, 385(9972), 977–1010.

The report is available to read in full text at: http://www.tobaccolabels.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Cigarette-Package-Health-Warnings-International-Status-Report-English-CCS-Sept-2014.pdf

In this chartbook, the author uses data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other agencies to compare health care systems and performance on a range of topics, including spending, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceuticals, prevention, mortality, quality and safety, and prices.

The authors report on health and health care use; health care costs and access; timeliness of care; care coordination and safety; doctor-patient relationship; health promotion; end-of-life planning; and management of chronic conditions and caregiving.

The article is available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0947

Osborn, R., et al. (2014). International survey of older adults investigates access, coordination, and patient-centered care. Health Affiars, 33(12), 2247-2255

To read the first page, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2014.07.031 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Lexa, F.J., et al. (2014). International perspectives on radiology practice metrics: Australia, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and USA. Journal of the American College of Radiology, 11(11), 1081–1086.

Among their findings was that "EC awareness and use have risen rapidly between 2010 and 2013 among current and former smokers in both Australia and the UK despite different EC regulatory environments. Substantial numbers in both countries are using ECs that contain nicotine".

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntu231 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Yong, H-H., et al. (2014). Trends in e-cigarette awareness, trial, and use under the different regulatory environments of Australia and the UK. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 30 October [Epub before print].

The Commonwealth Fund has produced an interactive tool that shows what would happen if the U.S. were to raise its health system performance to the levels achieved elsewhere in the world, including money saved, waiting times reduced, and prevantable deaths.

To view the data for the comparison with New Zealand, go to: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/interactives-and-data/us-compare-interactive#?ind=2&compare=NZ

The three quality dimensions clinical effectiveness, patient safety, and patient experience were incorporated in macro level policies in all countries. Senior hospital managers adopted a similar conceptualization, but also included efficiency and costs in their conceptualization of quality. 'Quality' in the forms of measuring indicators and performance management were dominant among senior hospital managers (with clinical and non-clinical background). The differential emphasis on the three quality dimensions was strongly linked to professional roles, personal ideas, and beliefs at the micro level. Clinical effectiveness was dominant among physicians (evidence-based approach), while patient experience was dominant among nurses (patient-centered care, enough time to talk with patients). Conceptualization varied between micro systems depending on the type of services provided.'

The authors discuss these findings.

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-14-478

Wiig, S., et al. (2014). Talking about quality: exploring how 'quality' is conceptualized in European hospitals and healthcare systems. BMC Health Services Research, 14, 478.

The journal is owned by the registered charity, the Fellowship of Postgraduate Medicine, established in 1918 with the aim of ‘educating medical professionals’.

The review is based on results which are derived from a total of at least 5,500 individuals residing in the six participating countries. It indicates a policy shift towards patient-centred self-management of diabetes in a primary care context. The professional role of diabetes specialist nurses, the need for multidisciplinary approaches and a focus on patient education emerge as fundamental principles in the design of relevant programmes. Socio-economic circumstances are relevant to the capacity to self-manage and suggest that any gains and progress will be hard to maintain during economic austerity. The authors note that this realist review should be interpreted within the wider context of a whole systems approach regarding self-care support and chronic illness management.

This is an open access article and can be downloaded and read in free full text at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-14-453

Kousoulis, A.A., et al. (2014). Diabetes self-management arrangements in Europe: A realist review to facilitate a project implemented in six countries. BMC Health Services Research, 14:453.

The study "... describes the front-line cultural dynamics that must be fostered to achieve cost-effective and high-impact transformation of health care, and it argues that there is a necessity for greater focus on vital, yet currently underused, organizational action to support the adoption of innovation".

Available to read in full text at: http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/33/9/1516.full

Keown, O.P., et al. (2014). Lessons from eight countries on diffusing innovation in health care. Health Affairs, 33(9), 1516-1522.

The authors describe mixed results, and discuss the implications for future projects.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0419 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Busse, R., et al. (2014). Integrated care experiences and outcomes in Germany, The Netherlands, and England. Health Affairs, 33(9), 1549-1558

They found that administrative costs account for 25 percent of total U.S. hospital spending. These were the highest costs across the nations studied. Scotland and Canada had the lowest administrative costs.

The authors make recommendations for reducing U.S. per capita spending for hospital administration.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1327 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

To read more about the study, go to:  http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/in-the-literature/2014/sep/hospital-administrative-costs

Himmelstein, D.U., et al. (2014). A comparison of hospital administrative costs in eight nations: US costs exceed all others by far. Health Affairs, 33(9), 1586-1594.

In a supplement issue of the International Journal for Quality in Health Care (volume 26, suppl 1, April 2014), a series of papers describe the key findings of the project to date.

Most of the papers are open access and can be read in full text. For the full list of papers, go to: 
http://intqhc.oxfordjournals.org/content/26/suppl_1.toc

This year, it also includes highlight summaries on the ongoing commitment to end preventable maternal deaths; on the need to act now to combat rising levels of childhood obesity; on recent trends in both life expectancy and premature deaths; and on the crucial role of civil registration and vital statistics systems in national and global advancement.

Access to the full text of the report is free online at: http://www.who.int/gho/publications/world_health_statistics/2014/en/

To read a media release about the report, go to: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/world-health-statistics-2014/en/

This document was published in May 2014.

The document is available to download in full text at:  http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/monitoring/maternal-mortality-2013/en/

The report presents information for each country related to their NCD mortality, risk factors and national systems capacity to prevent and control NCDs. The profiles include the number, rates and causes of deaths from NCDs and trends in NCD mortality since 2000; the prevalence of selected risk factors; and information describing current national responses to prevention and control of NCDs.

The full report as well as NCD profiles by country are available to download and read in full text at: http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd-profiles-2014/en/

World Health Organization (2014). Noncommunicable Diseases: Country Profiles 2014. Geneva: World Health Organization.

To access the database, go to: http://www.oecd.org/health/health-data.htm

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://www.healthpolicyjrnl.com/article/S0168-8510%2814%2900130-4/abstract or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Hakkinen, U., et al. (2014). Quality, cost, and their trade-off in treating AMI and stroke patients in European hospitals. Health Policy, 117(1), 15–27.

They also discuss examples from the Western Pacific Area to prevent and control diabetes.

Now available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2013.11.012 

Chan, J.C.N., et al. (2014). Diabetes in the Western Pacific Region - Past, present and future. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 103(2), 244-255

To download a full text copy of the report, go to: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/111548/1/9789241506892_eng.pdf?ua=1

World Health Organization. (2014). Principles and considerations for adding a vaccine to a national immunization programme: From decision to implementation and monitoring. Geneva: World Health Organization.

To read the full abstract and a free full text version of the article, go to: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960696-6/fulltext

Kassebaum, N. J., et al. (2014). Global, regional, and national levels and causes of maternal mortality during 1990—2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 384(9947), 980 - 1004.

Access to the full text of the article is free but registration is required on The Lancet site. To read the full abstract and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960497-9/fulltext or contact your DHB library, local or organisational library for assistance.

Wang, H., et al. (2014). Global, regional, and national levels of neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality during 1990—2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 384(9947), 957 - 979.

In fact, if countries achieved the goals set out by the 25x25 World Health Assembly (WHA) roadmap, there would be a 22% reduction in premature deaths from CVD, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease in men and a 19% reduction in women.

To read the full news story on Medscape, go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/824592

To access the HIIRC record for The Lancet report, go to: http://www.hiirc.org.nz/page/47009/

It was found that, if risk factor targets are achieved, the probability of dying from the four main non-communicable diseases between the ages of 30 years and 70 years will decrease by 22% in men and by 19% in women between 2010 and 2025, compared with a decrease of 11% in men and 10% in women under 'business-as-usual' trends. Achieving the risk factor targets will delay or prevent more than 37 million deaths with most of the benefits of achieving the risk factor targets being in low- and middle-income countries.

Access to the full text of the article is free but registration is required on the Lancet site. To read the full abstract and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960616-4/fulltext or contact your local, DHB or organisational library for assistance.

Kontis, V., et al. (2014). Contribution of six risk factors to achieving the 25×25 non-communicable disease mortality reduction target: A modelling study. The Lancet, 384(9941), 427 - 437.

They found that the "... global prevalence of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in women (20–49 years) is 16.9%, or 21.4 million live births in 2013. An estimated 16.0% of those cases may be due to total diabetes in pregnancy. The highest prevalence was found in the South-East Asia Region at 25.0% ... More than 90% of cases of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries".

Now available to read in free full text at: http://www.diabetesresearchclinicalpractice.com/article/S0168-8227(13)00386-0/fulltext 

Guariguata, L., et al. (2014). Global estimates of the prevalence of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy for 2013 for the IDF Diabetes Atlas. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 103(2), 176-185.

Based on 88 sources representing 74 countries, the authors found that "[g]lobally, 45.8%, or 174.8 million of all diabetes cases in adults are estimated to be undiagnosed, ranging from 24.1% to 75.1% across data regions. An estimated 83.8% of all cases of UDM are in low- and middle-income countries. At a country level, Pacific Island nations have the highest prevalence of UDM".

Now available to read in free full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2013.11.001 

Beagley, J., et al. (2014). Global estimates of undiagnosed diabetes in adults for 2013 for the IDF Diabetes Atlas. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 103(2), 150-160.

To read the full abstract, and for access to a free full text version of the article, go to: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/407/abstract

Lehmann, B. A., et al. (2014). "I don't see an added value for myself": A qualitative study exploring the social cognitive variables associated with influenza vaccination of Belgian, Dutch and German healthcare personnel. BMC Public Health, 14, 407, doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-407.

To access a free full text version of the article, go to: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20780

Mereckiene, J., et al. (2014). Seasonal influenza immunisation in Europe. Overview of recommendations and vaccination coverage for three seasons: Pre-pandemic (2008/09), pandemic (2009/10) and post-pandemic (2010/11). Eurosurveillance, 19 (16), Article 6.

A large number of studies were identified. The authors found "... large variations across regions, hospitals and physician practices for almost every condition and procedure studied. Many studies focused on high-impact conditions, but very few looked at the causes or outcomes of medical practice variations". 

Now available to read in full text at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.08.002 

Corallo, A.N., et al. (2014). A systematic review of medical practice variation in OECD countries. Health Policy, 114(1), 5-14. 

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179%2F2047773214Y.0000000126 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Ali, A., et al. (2014). Global practices of meningococcal vaccine use and impact on invasive disease. Pathogens and Global Health, 108(1), 11-20.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2014.01.005 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Zabetian, A., et al. (2014). Global rural diabetes prevalence: A systematic review and meta-analysis covering 1990–2012. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 104(2), 206-213.

In this chartbook, the authors use data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other agencies to compare health care systems and performance on a range of topics, including spending, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceuticals, prevention, mortality, quality and safety, and prices.

They found that that large reductions in the estimated prevalence of daily smoking at the global level over this time, but because of population growth, the number of smokers increased significantly.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.284692 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Ng, M., et al. (2014). Smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption in 187 countries, 1980-2012. JAMA, 311(2), 183-192.

They also identify opportunities for reducing consumption through tax adjustments.

To read the full abstract, and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2011-050413 or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

Kostova, D., et al. (2014). A cross-country study of cigarette prices and affordability: Evidence from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Tobacco Control, 23, e3.

Data from 2000–2012 were analysed to assess the changes in rubella and CRS control activities.

The report is available to read in full text at:  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6248a3.htm?s_cid=mm6248a3_x

Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome control and elimination — Global progress, 2000–2012. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(48);983-986.

The survey asked about national recommendations for adults for 16 vaccines or vaccine components, funding mechanisms for recommended adult vaccines, and the availability of adult vaccination coverage estimates.

Thirty-one of 33 (93.9 %) advanced economies responded to the survey. Twelve of 31 (38.7 %) reported having a comprehensive adult immunization schedule. The total number of vaccines or vaccine components recommended for adults ranged from one to 15 with a median of 10. Seasonal influenza (n = 30), tetanus (n = 28), pneumococcal polysaccharide (n = 27), and hepatitis B (n = 27) were the most frequently recommended vaccines or components.

The authors conclude that approximately two-thirds of survey respondents do not have a comprehensive adult vaccine schedule, and most do not measure vaccination coverage. They found that a funding mechanism is available for most recommended adult vaccines.

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text online at:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0438-x

Wu, L.A., et al. (2013). Adult immunization policies in advanced economies: Vaccination recommendations, financing, and vaccination coverage. International Journal of Public Health, 58(6), 865-874.

As well as an adequate level of resourcing, a comprehensive national cancer control plan appears critical, emphasising initiatives such as early detection and fast-track treatment pathways. Countries also need better data, particularly for patients’ experiences of care, in order to provide high quality, continuously improving cancer care.

There is a preview of this report available on the OECD website at:  http://www.oecd.org/health/cancer-care.htm#Publication

To read an overview of the report, go to: http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/Focus-on-Health_Cancer-Care-2013.pdf

To accessess the full version, there are a number of options:

• Subscribers and readers at subscribing institutions can access the online edition via OECD iLibrary, the OECD online library.
• Non-subscribers can purchase the PDF e-book and/or paper copy via the Online Bookshop.
• Government officials with accounts (subscribe) can go to the "Books" tab on OLIS. 
• Or contact your DHB library, or organisational or local library for assistance.

OECD (2013). Cancer care: Assuring quality to improve survival. OECD Health Policy Studies, OECD Publishing.

Over the period studied (1990 to 2010), the age-standardised incidence of stroke significantly decreased by 12% in high-income countries, and increased by 12% in low-income and middle-income countries (non-significantly).

Mortality rates decreased significantly in both high and low-income and middle-income countries. In 2010, the absolute numbers of people with first stroke, stroke survivors, stroke-related deaths,and DALYs lost were high and had significantly increased since 1990, with most of the burden in low-income and middle-income countries. 

The authors discuss the implications of these findings and the other findings identified in the study.

Access to the full text of the article is free but registration is required on The Lancet site.

To read the full abstract and for information on how to access the full text, go to: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)61953-4/fulltext or contact your local or organisational library for assistance.

Feigin, V.L., et al. (2014). Global and regional burden of stroke during 1990—2010: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 383(9913), 245-255.

Inspired by the views of subject area experts and using the distinction between variable-based and case-based research, the authors briefly review the main different types of cross-country comparisons in health systems and policy research to identify pertinent quality issues.

From this, they identify the following generic quality criteria for cross-country comparisons: (1) appropriate use of theory, (2) explicit selection of comparator countries, (3) rigour of the comparative design, (4) attention to the complexity of cross-national comparison, (5) rigour of the research methods, and (6) contribution to knowledge. This list may not be exclusive though publication and discussion of the list of criteria should help raise awareness in this field of what constitutes high quality research. In turn, this should be helpful for those planning, undertaking, or commissioning cross-country comparative research.

This is an open access article and is available to read in free full text at: http://www.healthpolicyjrnl.com/article/S0168-8510(13)00096-1/fulltext

Carace, M., et al. (2013). Assessing quality in cross-country comparisons of health systems and policies: Towards a set of generic quality criteria. Health Policy, 112(1), 156-162.

The authors used statistical techniques to normalise the results and present them on a standardised scale facilitating understanding of results. They compared results to the OECD average, and to benchmarks. They also applied various data quality rules to ensure the validity of results. In order to evaluate the impact of the public release of these results, they used quantitative and qualitative methods and documented other types of impact.

The authors conclude that the methods used seemed attractive to various audiences in the Canadian context and achieved the objectives originally defined. These methods could be refined and applied in different contexts.

This is an open access article and can be read in free full text at:  http://www.healthpolicyjrnl.com/article/S0168-8510(13)00080-8/fulltext

Veillard, J., et al. (2013). Methods to stimulate national and sub-national benchmarking through international health system performance comparisons: A Canadian approach. Health Policy, 112(1), 141-147.

The analysis shows that countries with higher health care expenditure per capita, tend to have a more technically efficient hospital sector. The authors note that the hospital sector in countries with higher income inequality and longer average hospital length of stay is less technically efficient.

Now available to read in free full text at:  http://www.healthpolicyjrnl.com/article/S0168-8510(13)00067-5/fulltext 

Varabyova, Y. & Schreyögg, J. (2013). International comparisons of the technical efficiency of the hospital sector: Panel data analysis of OECD countries using parametric and non-parametric approaches. Health Policy, 112(1), 70-79

The project currently has five modules examining: (1) cancer survival, (2) population awareness and beliefs about cancer, (3) attitudes, behaviours and systems in primary care, (4) delays in diagnosis and treatment, and their causes, and (5) treatment, co-morbidities and other factors. The module design, governance structure, funding arrangements and management approach to the partnership provide a case study in conducting international comparisons of health systems that are both academically and clinically robust and of immediate relevance to policymakers.

Now available to read in free full text at: http://www.healthpolicyjrnl.com/article/S0168-8510(13)00097-3/fulltext

Butler, J., et al. (2013). The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: An international collaboration to inform cancer policy in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Health Policy, 112(1), 148-155.

Despite the inevitable uncertainty surrounding projections, they suggest a rapidly rising trend over the next 50 years.

To access the paper, go to: http://www.oecd.org/health/public-spending-on-health-and-long-term-care.htm

De La Maisonneuve, C. & Oliveira Martins, J. (2013). Public spending on health and long-term care: a new set of projections. OECD Economic Policy Papers No. 06. Paris: OECD.

The report has a special focus on legislation to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS) in WHO Member States and an in-depth analyses of TAPS bans were performed, allowing for a more detailed understanding of progress and future challenges in this area.

To read or download the report in full text, go to: http://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/2013/en/index.html

To read a WHO media release about the report, go to: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2013/ban_tobacco_20130710/en/index.html

World Health Organization (2013). WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2013:  Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. Geneva: World Health Organization.

To read the full abstract, and for access to a free full text version of the article, go to: http://www.equityhealthj.com/content/12/1/42/abstract

Hui Wu, S., et al. (2013). Worldwide socioeconomic status and stroke mortality: an ecological study. International Journal for Equity in Health, 12:42.

The purpose of GTSSData is to enhance countries' capacity to monitor tobacco use, guide national tobacco prevention, and control programs, and facilitate comparison of tobacco-related data at the national, regional, and global levels.

Access to this Data is available at: http://nccd.cdc.gov/GTSSData/default/default.aspx