Global Historical Healthcare Systems Dataset (G2HSet): Technical report and codebook

Abstract

The present technical report introduces the Global Healthcare Systems (G2HS), a novel dataset containing information on the historical evolution of healthcare systems in 167 countries worldwide. Existing datasets typically focus on specific healthcare schemes or programmes, leaving a gap in comprehensive data that encompasses healthcare systems in their entirety, as well as the timing and mode of a state's commitment to healthcare. The G2HS dataset fills this void by providing insights into the inception of healthcare systems in a global perspective, including their timing of introduction and their characteristics at inception, specifically financing, service provision, and regulatory aspects. This document presents the primary definitions used to develop the dataset and details the data collection process, which encompasses the scope and coverage, the sources, and the practical procedure. Importantly, the indicators and variables represented in the dataset are also explored. Developed at the University of Bremen and funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), the G2HS dataset is stored in the Welfare State Information System (WeSIS).