Comparative analysis of perceived health status in Turkey with OECD countries and evaluation from the perspective of health management

Perceived health status is an important health indicator based on individuals’ subjective evaluations of their own health and reflecting the overall health level of societies. This indicator is widely used in the assessment of health outcomes, quality of life, and health services. Perceived health status is influenced by socioeconomic conditions, access to healthcare services, living standards, and characteristics of health systems. The aim of this study is to comparatively examine the changes in perceived health status in Turkey during the 2010–2024 period with OECD countries and to evaluate the findings from a health management perspective. The study is a quantitative, descriptive, and comparative secondary data analysis conducted using OECD Health Statistics data. The study evaluates Turkey’s trend over time, its position relative to the OECD average and median, ranking performance, convergence-divergence status, inter-country stability level, and a SWOT analysis based on health system indicators. The findings indicate that Turkey’s perceived health status indicator remained generally stable throughout the period but showed a slight declining trend. The average perceived health status level of Turkey was 67.33%, decreasing from 66.0% in 2010 to 64.4% in 2024. Although Turkey approached the OECD average in some years, it remained below the OECD median throughout the entire period, and its relative position weakened particularly during the 2022–2024 period. The stability analysis showed that Turkey had a low but stable profile. The SWOT analysis revealed improvements in health infrastructure and human resources as strengths, while the decline in perceived health status and decreasing satisfaction levels were identified as weaknesses. In conclusion, Turkey is positioned at a middle-lower level among OECD countries in terms of perceived health status. The findings highlight the importance of comprehensive approaches focusing on service quality, patient experience, trust in the healthcare system, and reducing health inequalities in health policies.