The international comparison of healthcare systems is very complex and must be viewed in a differentiated way. While one healthcare system can ensure optimal outpatient care, another system provides optimal tertiary care or is particularly efficient in the care of chronic diseases. International comparisons, or the analysis of international variation, make it possible to draw conclusions in order to continuously improve one's own healthcare system. However, such comparisons are complex due to the heterogeneity of the population, the institutional framework, the historically evolved structures and the data protection requirements.
In projects such as "ICCONIC", Lize Duminy and Jean Pierre Uwitonze are developing innovative methods to make data comparable across national borders and to draw conclusions.