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Testing a new health indicator: using avoidable causes of death and life expectancy for Spain between 1975-1986
J Alfonso Sanchez1, B Sanchis Noguera, M J Prado del Baño
1Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Publica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
European Journal of Epidemiology
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Introducing life expectancy free of avoidable mortality (LEFAM), a new metric combining life expectancy and avoidable deaths. This indicator reveals potential years of life gained by reducing preventable mortality, offering insights into healthcare quality.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
- Demography
Background:
- Avoidable mortality is a key indicator for healthcare system quality.
- Existing metrics do not fully capture the potential gains from reducing preventable deaths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a novel indicator: life expectancy free of avoidable mortality (LEFAM).
- To assess LEFAM's utility in explaining healthcare resource allocation and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Developed LEFAM by integrating life expectancy with data on avoidable mortality.
- Conducted an ecological study correlating LEFAM with health sector resources and outcomes in Spain.
Main Results:
- In 1986 Spain, LEFAM was 76.9 years, compared to a life expectancy of 75.83 years, indicating a potential gain of 1.09 years.
- Significant sex-based differences were observed: a 1.76-year gain for males versus 0.6 years for females.
- LEFAM demonstrated stronger correlations with human resources (R=0.96), hospital beds (R=-0.86), infant mortality (R=0.98), and overall mortality (R=0.59) than life expectancy alone.
Conclusions:
- LEFAM provides a more comprehensive measure of healthcare system performance and potential improvements.
- The indicator effectively explains variations in health sector resources and outcomes.
- LEFAM highlights the substantial potential for life extension through the reduction of avoidable mortality.