Health care is improving in OECD countries but better management of chronic diseases is necessary - only half of diabetics get needed eye screening
The quality of medical care, measured by the provision of recommended interventions or actual health outcomes, is improving in OECD countries. Health at a Glance 2007 shows that advances in diagnosis and treatment mean that, across OECD countries, only 10% of people hospitalized after a heart attack now die within 30 days of being admitted to hospital, down from 20% in the 1980s. And only 10% of patients admitted to hospital following ischemic stroke die there within 30 days thanks to more treatment to dissolve blood clots and the establishment of new stroke units.
