Thank you for the clarification regarding Accountable Care Organizations. As for mortality rates among nations, it seems that a range of factors affects their accuracy. For example, in the recent study by Tencza, Stokes, and Preston (2014), it is noted that obesity, residence, substance abuse, and smoking are the key factors that cause variation in mortality rates among states. It is then possible to suggest that the same factors may also be considered on a global scale. Indeed, the type of residence, eating habits, and substance abuse compose the background of a nation’s health. The mentioned factors ensure the basics of one’s standard of living either increasing or reducing the risk of death.
The patterns of a certain country significantly affect the level of mortality. Among the most powerful means, one may note sociodemographic conditions, religion, median age, etc. For example, I guess that while considering mortality rates in Syria, it is critical to take into account that the country experiences armed conflicts and migration of people to other countries. In addition, infant mortality presents one of the most important factors, especially when life expectancy is low, and the median age is rather high (Kaneda & Bremner, 2014). At this point, such issues as maternal health and preterm births may be regarded as additional factors (MacDorman, Mathews, Mohangoo, & Zeitlin, 2014).
According to the report prepared by the United Nations, demographic transition and epidemiologic transition also identify the level of mortality among nations (“Changing Levels and Trends in Mortality: The role of patterns of death by cause,” 2012). Thus, it seems that the comparison of mortality rates of different countries should be accompanied by the consideration of their contexts.
References
Changing Levels and Trends in Mortality: The role of patterns of death by cause. (2012). Web.
Kaneda, T., & Bremner, J. (2014). Understanding population projections: Assumptions behind the numbers. Web.
MacDorman, M. F., Mathews, T. J., Mohangoo, A. D., & Zeitlin, J. (2014). International comparisons of infant mortality and related factors: United States and Europe, 2010. National Vital Statistics Reports, 63(5), 1-7.
Tencza, C., Stokes, A., & Preston, S. (2014). Factors responsible for mortality variation in the United States: A latent variable analysis. Demographic Research, 21(2), 27.