Recent data show wide disparity between Japan and the United States in the effectiveness of their health care systems. Japan spends close to the lowest percentage of its gross domestic product on health care among OECD countries, the United States spends the highest, yet life expectancies in...

Comparative health policy: an introduction -- The context of health care -- Funding, provision, and governance -- Setting priorities and allocating resources -- The medical profession -- Beyond the hospital: health care in the home -- Public health -- Understanding health policy comparatively