Monthly Wrap: Which Countries Offer the Best Healthcare?

Still reeling from the aftermath of the global coronavirus pandemic (and in some regions, its continuation), healthcare is a priority for everyone right now.
 
This article looks at different countries’ handling of the pandemic alongside their healthcare performance more generally to ascertain which popular expat destinations offer the best quality of care.

COVID & the pandemic response

With COVID at the top of everyone’s minds, evaluating different countries’ responses to the pandemic can give an idea of who’s best equipped to deal with a medical emergency.

While drawing a direct comparison can be difficult, it's still clear that some countries handling of the pandemic has been more effective than others, with New Zealand’s, Iceland’s and Singapore’s responses garnering international recognition.

New Zealand impressed everyone from the outset, cracking down on international travel as early as February and enforcing a full national lockdown on 26th March 2020. A fast and thorough response from NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Arden ensured that out of a population of approximately 4.917 million in 2019, only 26 people in total died from the virus: a figure that has proven the country capable of handling a medical crisis and a definite reassurance for anyone thinking of setting up home in Australasia.

While the country’s small population size limited the spread of infections, Iceland's speedily-implemented contact tracing system allowed the country to minimise deaths. The Icelandic government was further able to earn a level of citizen compliance with lockdown that other countries struggled to reach, through incentivising people to stay home by fully covering the salary of those required to isolate.

Singapore, unlike NZ and Iceland, saw a surge in infections – but reported very few deaths. Faced with difficulty containing COVID’s spread amongst workers bunking in dormitories, authorities enforced anti-infection measures within family units, requiring children to use a wearable device or download the government’s contact tracing app. This prevented younger Singaporeans from unwittingly transferring coronavirus to older family members – the demographic most likely to suffer fatalities.

Healthcare satisfaction rates

While COVID figures give an insight into emergency response procedures, they don’t necessarily give a complete overview of a country’s healthcare offering. That’s where satisfaction rates come in.

‘Perceived Health Status’ reports express citizens’ confidence in their health and their healthcare system. Alongside this, patient experience statistics give an indication of patients’ satisfaction, or dissatisfaction with their quality of care.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada, New Zealand and the United States report high levels of satisfaction with their healthcare, with more than 88% of each population considering themselves to be in very/good health. Of these countries, New Zealanders were most satisfied with consultation length: 87.9% patients felt their appointments were of adequate duration. Even more impressive is the Netherlands, where 94.7% of the population felt satisfied with consultation times. If medical consultations are a priority for you in your next location, The Netherlands should be high up your list, as Dutch patients also report that doctors give easy-to-understand medical explanations and they feel suitably involved in healthcare decisions.

Healthcare outcomes

One of the key indicators of quality healthcare in any country is life expectancy: it follows that the better a country’s healthcare system, the better it can prevent early deaths. Margins between life expectancy are fairly small in developed countries, but may still be worth considering if you’re thinking of emigrating. 

Albeit a region rather than a country, Hong Kong has a life expectancy higher than any European populace, at 83.8 years in 2014. Compare this to the UK (81 years) and the USA (78.9 years) and it’s clear they’re onto something. Hong Kong’s population has been ageing for the past 20 years and the healthcare system has certainly had a role to play: as well as life expectancy, Hong Kong boasts one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.

Japan ranks second for life expectancy, boasting a life expectancy of 83.7 years. According to the Healthcare Access and Quality Index, Japan scores 89 out of 100 based on ‘amenable mortality’ – or deaths from an avoidable condition. Japan also scores lowest for ‘burden of disease’: an estimation of the number of ‘lost’ years a person suffers due to poor health. With approximately 16,214 years ‘lost’ for every 100,000 individuals, Japan’s closest competitors are Spain, Italy and Iceland.

If you’re looking for a European idyll, turn your attention to Switzerland or Spain. Both countries boast high life expectancies (83 and 82.8 years, respectively) with Spain demonstrating low inequality of life years: meaning life expectancy does not vary greatly by region. Switzerland spends a higher-than-average sum on healthcare – 11.66% of national GDP in 2014. Yet in Spain, where less than 10% of GDP is allocated to healthcare, life expectancy is high. Some consider that Spain’s performance is related to its Mediterranean diet – including the Seattle Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation – while others emphasise the mild climate and social cohesion. 

Best healthcare performance?

With each country seeming to offer a unique healthcare perk, it’s hard to decide which the best fit is. Will a country’s higher life expectancy have an effect if you’ve lived somewhere different up till now? Will pandemic-level efficiencies be sustained post COVID-19? This article can only offer suggestions.

Overall, your priorities must rule your decision. For quality healthcare in warmer climes, New Zealand is a good choice. Spain also boasts spectacular sunshine, with the benefit of proximity to other European countries. If colder weather doesn’t both you, Iceland or Switzerland may take your fancy: the former boasting low COVID rates and the latter, high life expectancy. Finally, if you’d like to experience an entirely different culture, Hong Kong, Singapore or Japan might be right for you: each destination promising efficient disease control and high-scoring health outcomes.

Wherever you decide to go, it’s important to remember that familiarity with one medical system doesn’t make it superior to all others. With just a little bit of research, you can easily access information and screening criteria for any international healthcare system, and may even find you’re offered more services abroad than you receive currently.