A Comparison of Canada’s Health Care System to Japan’s Health Care System by Using Performance Indicators.

A comparison of Canada's Health care system to Japan's Health care System by using performance indicators.

Life Expectancy and Quality of Life

"Japan spends much less per person on health care than Canada and its citizens live longer than Canadians."( www.ahs.uwaterloo.ca) For example, in 2001, Canadian men and women on average live to 77 years and 82 years respectively, while Japanese men and women on average live to 78 years and 85 years respectively (Conference Board, 102). Meanwhile in 2001, Japan spent $1984 US per person whereas Canada spent $2719 (2789777.pdf, 4).

However, life expectancy does not tell if people are aging comfortably without disabilities. In 1996, Canadian men and women on average appreciated a disability free life until 66.9 years (men) and 70.2 years (women) (Conference Board, 103). However, in 1990, Japanese men and women on average enjoyed a disability free life until age 74.2 years (men) and 78.7 (women) (Conference Board, 103). This data tells us that Japan's females live 93% of their life with no disability whereas Canadian women only live 83% of their life without disability.

Another interesting piece of data is the Self-reported health status, is a resource that informs us of how citizens feel about their health. Canadians mostly believe that they are healthy, 85% claim to have good or better health (Conference Board, 104). We are only second in this belief to the United States, 86% of its citizen's claim to have good or excellent health (Conference Board, 104). Strangely, only 40% of Japanese claim to have good or excellent health (Conference Board, 104).

Finally, Japan's infant mortality rate is low at 3.1 per 1000 live births, it is only second to Iceland 2.7(Conference Board, 104). Meanwhile, Canada's infant mortality rate is 5.3 per 1000 live births and we are ranked 16th overall, but a decade ago we were 5th in this category (Conference Board, 105).In 2005, Nunavut has the highest rate of infant mortality at 13.5 whereas P.E.I and B.C. have the lowest rate at 4.1 (Indicators, 8).

Overall, Japan is doing better than Canada when it comes to Life expectancy and quality of life.

Non-Medical Factors

When it comes to non-medical factors Canada is ranked 15th worldwide, by contrast, Japan is ranked 23rd for these factors (Conference Board, 107). The non-medical factors are body weight, road traffic injuries, sulfur oxide emissions, daily smoking, alcohol consumption, and immunization. Canada did well for daily smoking; only 18% of the population smokes daily (Conference Board, 109). By difference, 31% of Japan's population smokes (Conference Board, 109). However, 15% of Canada's population has a Body Mass Index greater than 30 (Conference Board, 107) Japan is leading this measurement, only 3% of its population has a BMI of greater than 30 (Conference Board, 107). Canada is ranked higher than Japan for non-medical factors because Japan has far more road traffic injuries, about 8,600 per million (Conference Board, 108). Canada has 6,600 road traffic injuries per million (Conference Board, 108). Canada, also, has a much higher rate of immunization at 62% of the population, by contrast, only 30% of Japan's population is immunized (Conference Board, 110). Therefore, Canada has a slightly better rate for non-medical factors. However, Japan clearly trumps Canada when it comes to Health Outcomes.

Health Care Performance indicators for Canada and Japan.

Health Outcomes is a change in the health condition of a person, group or population which is contributable to a planned program or sequence of programs, regardless if a program was meant to change health condition (www.moh.govt.nz). In respect to Health Outcomes, Canada is ranked 20th, whereas Japan is third worldwide to only Mexico and Italy (Conference Board, 112). For example, the mortality rate for men from heart attacks in Canada is 86 persons per 100,000 population, by contrast, Japan's heart attack mortality rate for men is 32 per 100,000 (Conference Board, 114). For women's mortality rate from heart attacks Canada has 42 per 100,000 population, by difference, Japan has 18 per 100,000 population for female heart attack mortality (Conference Board, 115). In respect to male lung cancer mortality, Canada has 10 more deaths per 100,000 population than Japan (Conference Board, 113). However for female lung cancer, there is sizable difference between Canada and Japan. Canada's female lung cancer mortality rate is 35 per 100,000 population, by contrast, Japan's rate is 13 per 100,000 population (Conference Board, 113).