HEAVEN CAN WAIT

The apparently unlimited demand for health care, finite supply of reso urces, the internal social market and continuous technological advance s have given rise to increasing concern about the performance of healt h services. We examine an important measure of health care performance - avoidable mortality. Studies extending the scope of avoidable morta lity and other outcome indicators are discussed. Although avoidable mo rtality is limited to providing a warning signal of possible health ca re deficiencies and is not an appropriate measure for all types of int ervention, it still provides us with one of the best guides to the per formance of health services.