But at the same time, Sweden stands out in another way: hospitals have an unusually low number of hospital beds, according to the OECD report.
Sweden can boast that overall, the health of the Swedish people is good. In short, one can say that better results and a more expensive system with fewer beds. Of course, one must also consider other factors that are not immediately visible, such as strong inflation.
Strengths:
- Quality of care: 30-day mortality after stroke 4.9% (OECD 7.7) and after heart attack 3.4% (OECD 6.5)
- 7,871 in health care spending(OECD5,967) and 11.3% of GDP (OECD 9.3)
- Strong prevention/public health: daily smoking 8.5% (OECD 14.8) and low proportion of people who exercise too little (11% vs 30%)
Weaknesses:
- Few hospital beds: 1.9 hospital beds per 1,000 people (OECD 4.2)
- But a flaw: suicide rates 12 per 100,000 (OECD 11)
Something that also stands out is that Sweden invests heavily in elder care, many more employees than the OECD average. Long-term care: 12.0 employees per 100 people 65+ (OECD 5.0). Also, antibiotic use is low at 9 DDD (Defined Daily Dose) /1,000/day (OECD 16)
Overall, Sweden has good results, has improved health, and Swedes live longer, despite having few hospital beds.
