The OECD has undertaken an ambitious large-scale statistical analysis of the determinants of health and the relative efficiency of the health care systems of various OECD member countries (Jourmard, André, Nicq and Chatal 2008). The Report makes a useful contribution to a continuing stream of literature that focuses on health outcomes, rather than cost. While the primary emphasis of the Report is on new statistical analysis, it includes a valuable, though spotty, literature review.

The predominate technical approach is econometric, using panel regression. An operations research technique called data envelopment analysis (DEA) is also used to a limited extent. The regression technique is applied to annual data on 16 OECD countries from 1981 to 2003.

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H. E. Frech III is a professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara.