Comparisons between the U.S. health care system and the systems of other industrialized countries reveal striking differences in spending, availability and use of services, and health outcomes. This grant will support the eighth report in an annual series of analyses of key health data for the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The report will provide an update of overall trends in health system performance, with an emphasis on health spending, coverage, hospital capacity and utilization, pharmaceutical costs, use of technology, trends in the supply of health professionals, and quality of care. In comparing health system data, the study will illustrate the impact of different national policies on health system efficiency. Findings will be presented at the Fund's October 2005 International Symposium on Health Care Policy and submitted to the journal Health Affairs for consideration for Web publication. A chartpack containing core components from the OECD database, available on the Fund's Web site, will be updated as a resource for journalists, policymakers, and researchers. http://www.jhsph.edu/