Health services are the medical and allied services that improve the health of people through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease or injury. Services are categorized as primary, secondary and tertiary care depending on their scope and purpose. These services are provided by the health professions, such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, midwifery, nursing, optometry, physiotherapy and psychology, and by allied health fields, such as nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy and social work. In addition to healthcare providers, health services include a wide range of other professionals and support staff involved in the delivery of health services such as administrative and clinical support personnel, as well as community-based organizations that provide education and assistance for self-care and family management of illness.
Health care utilization is the measurement of the number of health care services consumed by individuals over a certain period. The measurement of health care utilization allows for a comparison of the costs of health care services and their effectiveness in terms of improving or maintaining the quality of life of people. It also allows for a comparison of the efficiency of health services as measured by their cost per unit of service delivered.
Among the most important goals of health services research (HSR) is to understand the factors that influence the effectiveness of health services. This involves the analysis of various measures of health service performance, including efficiency and costs, patient satisfaction and outcomes of care, as well as a variety of other indicators of health status. HSR is a multidisciplinary field that draws upon the intellectual traditions of many disciplines, including epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, sociology, political science and anthropology.
A major challenge to providing efficient and effective health services is the large variation in the capabilities and resources of different countries. To make progress on achieving universal health coverage, countries must develop the capacity to deliver essential health services and ensure that these services are appropriate for local contexts.
In this regard, it is vital to consider the needs of populations in fragile settings, which are often unable to benefit from the full array of available health services, and to focus on their specific needs in the context of a holistic approach to health promotion and prevention.
Providing access to quality health services is crucial in every country, but especially in those that are least developed. Health systems in these settings are often under-resourced and under-funded, and many of the world’s poorest people live in areas that are vulnerable to conflict and natural disasters, making it difficult to reach them with basic health services.
Across the globe, governments are working to make sure that their citizens have access to high-quality health services. These services must be efficient and accessible to all, while also being compassionate and people-centred. This requires a fundamental shift in the way we think about public health and health services, but it is an important step towards a healthier world.