A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing mortality rates of private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals.

Canadians are engaged in an intense debate about the relative merits of private for-profit versus private not-for-profit health care delivery. To inform this debate, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing the mortality rates of private for-profit hospitals and those of private not-for-profit hospitals.We identified studies through an electronic search of 11 bibliographical databases, our own files, consultation...