A recent study conducted by researchers from Brown University School of Public Health and Harvard University reveals a concerning trend: avoidable deaths in the United States are increasing, diverging from patterns observed in other high-income countries. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study compares mortality data from the U.S. with those from European Union countries and members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Between 2009 and 2021, the U.S. experienced a rise in deaths that could potentially have been prevented through effective public health measures, medical interventions, or timely treatments. In contrast, similar high-income regions saw improvements in reducing such deaths, although the COVID-19 pandemic did impact all regions from 2019 to 2021.
Lead author Irene Papanicolas, a professor at Brown’s School of Public Health, highlighted the stark difference in trajectories between the U.S. and other nations. “While other countries have made significant progress in reducing avoidable deaths, the U.S. has seen a troubling increase in these fatalities,” she explained. The study indicates that systemic issues within the American healthcare system and public policy may be contributing to these worsening health outcomes.
The researchers analyzed mortality data for individuals under the age of 75 from all 50 U.S. states and compared them with data from high-income countries of similar economic stature. They found that on average, avoidable mortality in the U.S. increased by 32.5 deaths per 100,000 people. In contrast, EU countries saw a decrease of 25.2 avoidable deaths per 100,000 people, and OECD countries saw a decrease of 22.8.
The study also revealed variations among U.S. states. For example, New York saw an increase of 4.9 avoidable deaths per 100,000 people from 2009 to 2019, while West Virginia experienced a much steeper rise of 99.6 deaths per 100,000 people. The causes of these avoidable deaths include a range of preventable and treatable conditions such as road traffic accidents, vaccine-preventable illnesses, and diseases like sepsis, appendicitis, and ischemic heart disease.
Interestingly, the study found no clear correlation between healthcare spending and avoidable mortality rates within the U.S., suggesting that higher expenditure does not necessarily translate to better outcomes. This contrasts with findings from other high-income countries, where higher healthcare spending often correlates with lower rates of avoidable deaths.
These findings are particularly alarming given that the U.S. spends more on healthcare per capita than any other country included in the study. “The results point to systemic factors that the U.S. and all its states are dealing with,” Papanicolas said, emphasizing the need for policy interventions to address this growing mortality gap.
The research team plans to continue their investigations into what differentiates the U.S. from other nations and what strategies could be adopted to reduce avoidable deaths in the country. This study serves as a crucial call to action for U.S. policymakers to reevaluate and reform health and public policies to align more closely with practices that have proven successful in other high-income countries.
