[Avoidable mortality-a new indicator version for prevention reporting]

"Avoidable mortality" is used as an indicator in health reporting. The indicator aggregates selected causes of death. In Germany two versions exist, both of which are no longer up to date. A new version is proposed.

The new version is based on preparatory work on the European level. The feasibility and plausibility of a common OECD Eurostat list are examined using official statistics data from Bavaria from 2016 to 2018. The analysis includes an examination of the variability over time and within the Bavarian administrative districts, as well as possible systematic errors through regional differences in coding behaviour or changes over time.

The OECD Eurostat list can be implemented at the regional level with only minor modifications. The age-standardized avoidable mortality in Bavaria in 2018 is almost 23 deaths per 10,000 inhabitants, with preventable deaths by far outweighing treatable deaths. For men, the death rate due to avoidable causes is 30 per 10,000 male inhabitants, which is almost twice as high as that for women (16 per 10,000 female inhabitants). The regional findings on avoidable mortality are consistent with findings on regional health from other studies.

The results do not indicate a threat to reliability due to random fluctuation or systematic methodological errors. The new version is recommended for application in health reporting.