Data sources

Several different types of data are required for the preparation of health accounts:

• Information about the public sector, disaggregated by:

  • Institution

  • Type of service

  • Type of input (such as personnel, medicine, number of hospital beds, and others);

• Information about the private sector, disaggregated by:

  • Out-of-pocket spending by the households (usually obtained from household surveys)

  • Health services production by households

  • Expenditures and production of services by private social security firms

  • Expenditures for insurance contribution, and production and direct delivery of health services by companies for their workers

The principal sources of health expenditure, financing, and production data should be National Statistical Organizations and Ministries of Finance.  Their website addresses can be found on the Links page. There exist various other sources of data in international and bilateral organizations. The most important among them have been included further below.  Please contact us if we have omitted any. 

Selecting and Collecting Data

The types of data collected for health accounts will depend in large measure on the boundaries of the sector, as established by a given country's experts and authorities.  In fact, differences in health sector boundaries established by countries represent a challenge for international comparisons.  Some countries include as part of the health system services in the areas of social protection, sanitation, waste management, and environment, as well as health services provided by family members (for example see PAHO's Workshop on Health and Gender Accounts). Other countries focus exclusively on services rendered by medical professionals. These choices are often related to the particular health accounts methodology adopted by a country.

In addition to those listed below, some sources of data can be found in the section on Country Profiles.

Documents
Health in the Americas 2002	Country-specific and regional information about health conditions and health systems published in 2002. Available on-line in PDF format. Also available Health in the Americas 1998
OECD System of Health Accounts 1.25 MB, PDF	The System of Health Accounts provides basic concepts and definitions underlying the annual data collection of OECD Health Data. This draft manual is becoming an essential methodological tool for the preparation of health accounts.
PAHO Health Accounts Data Spreadsheets 237 KB, XLS	PAHO's compilation of health accounts estimates for Latin America and the Caribbean for the years 1980, 1985, 1990-1999.
Philippine National Health Accounts Webpage (PNHA)	This webpage describes data sources and estimation procedures used in the compilation of the 1991 to 2001 Philippine National Health Accounts (PNHA) matrices. It describes how inadequacies in the data (with respect to PNHA needs) were handled, i.e. specific estimation rules applied, so that users could take these limitations into account when interpreting the PNHA statistics.
Tools for Using Household Survey Data Website	World Bank's on-line tools explain and simplify the Living Standards Measurement Survey applications and data.
UNDP Human Development Report 2004 Website	This is the Human Development Report for 2003, released by the United Nations Development Programme. It is broken down by chapters and also includes a press kit and media contacts.
WHR2001 National Health Accounts Indicators 125 KB, XLS	WHO 1997 and 1998 estimates of selected health accounts indicators for all member states; the table is also available in PDF format (47 KB, PDF).

Organizations
Demographic and Health Surveys - Measure DHS+	The Demographic and Health Surveys website provides household survey data from many countries around the world, including Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as a number of statistical tools and publications. Click here to view a table of data sets and modules available for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS)	Established by the World Bank, the LSMS household surveys can be an important tool in measuring and understanding poverty in developing countries. This website provides access to data and documents for download or purchase.
MECOVI - Program for the Improvement of Living Standards Surveys	MECOVI Program for the Improvement of Living Standards Surveys provides technical assistance to generate household surveys that would collect quality, timely, accessible, and useful statistical information.  In 2003, MECOVI was working with the statistical institutes of Argentina, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Peru.  Today data are available also for Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
OECD Aid Donor Statistics	The Development Assistance Committee publishes statistics and reports on aid and other resource flows to developing countries and countries in transition and related matters, based principally on reporting by DAC Members.
OECD Health Data 2005	OECD Health Data 2005 of the Health Policy and Data Department offers the most comprehensive source of comparable statistics on health and health systems across the OECD countries. It is an essential tool for health researchers and policy advisors in governments, the private sector and the academic community, to carry out comparative analyses and draw lessons from international comparisons of diverse health care systems.
USAID's Economic and Social Database: LAC Countries	This site provides statistics on population, health and nutrition, as well as related measures including HIV/AIDS, fertility and health expenditures and services. Other USAID databases are available on this page.
World Bank's Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys	This research explores the transformation mechanism from public expenditure to public goods, using public expenditure tracking surveys (PETS) of service facilities and, in some cases, surveys of firms (the latter on infrastructure services). The PETS typically collects information on facility characteristics, financial flows, outputs, accountability arrangements, etc.
WHO's World Health Survey	WHO has developed and implemented a Survey Programme and a World Health Survey to compile comprehensive baseline information on the health of populations and on the outcomes associated with the investment in health systems; baseline evidence on the way health systems are currently functioning; and, ability to monitor inputs, functions, and outcomes. The list of participants includes the following LAC countries: Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
IMF General Data Dissemination Standard	This site provides information on economic, financial and socio-demographic data disseminated by countries participating in the GDDS. Current statistical practices of each country are described, together with their plans to improve their statistical systems.