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Health care

Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, midwifery, nursing, optometry, audiology, psychology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training, and other health professions all constitute health care. It includes work done in providing primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care, as well as in public health.

Global concentrations of health care resources, as depicted by the number of physicians per 10,000 individuals, by country. Data is sourced from a World Health Statistics 2010, a WHO report.[needs update]
Graphic of hospital beds per 1000 people globally in 2013, at top;[1] NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, a hub for health care and life sciences,[2] is one of the world's busiest hospitals, below. Pictured is the Weill-Cornell facility (white complex at the center).

Access to healthcare may vary across countries, communities, and individuals, influenced by social and economic conditions as well as health policies. Providing health care services means "the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes".[3] Factors to consider in terms of healthcare access include financial limitations (such as insurance coverage), geographical and logistical barriers (such as additional transportation costs and the ability to take paid time off work to use such services), sociocultural expectations, and personal limitations (lack of ability to communicate with health care providers, poor health literacy, low income).[4] Limitations to health care services affects negatively the use of medical services, the efficacy of treatments, and overall outcome (well-being, mortality rates).

Health systems are organizations established to meet the health needs of targeted populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a well-functioning healthcare system requires a financing mechanism, a well-trained and adequately paid workforce, reliable information on which to base decisions and policies, and well-maintained health facilities to deliver quality medicines and technologies.

An efficient healthcare system can contribute to a significant part of a country's economy, development, and industrialization. Health care is conventionally regarded as an important determinant in promoting the general physical and mental health and well-being of people around the world.[5] An example of this was the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980, declared by the WHO, as the first disease in human history to be eliminated by deliberate healthcare interventions.[6]

Delivery Edit

 
Primary care may be provided in community health centers.

The delivery of modern health care depends on groups of trained professionals and paraprofessionals coming together as interdisciplinary teams.[7] This includes professionals in medicine, psychology, physiotherapy, nursing, dentistry, midwifery and allied health, along with many others such as public health practitioners, community health workers and assistive personnel, who systematically provide personal and population-based preventive, curative and rehabilitative care services.[citation needed]

While the definitions of the various types of health care vary depending on the different cultural, political, organizational, and disciplinary perspectives, there appears to be some consensus that primary care constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process and may also include the provision of secondary and tertiary levels of care.[8] Health care can be defined as either public or private.[citation needed]

 
The emergency room is often a frontline venue for the delivery of primary medical care.

Primary care Edit

 
Hospital train "Therapist Matvei Mudrov" in Khabarovsk, Russia[9]

Primary care refers to the work of health professionals who act as a first point of consultation for all patients within the health care system.[8][10] Such a professional would usually be a primary care physician, such as a general practitioner or family physician. Another professional would be a licensed independent practitioner such as a physiotherapist, or a non-physician primary care provider such as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner. Depending on the locality and health system organization, the patient may see another health care professional first, such as a pharmacist or nurse. Depending on the nature of the health condition, patients may be referred for secondary or tertiary care.[citation needed]

Primary care is frequently denoted as the healthcare services which is integral to the local community. It can be provided in different settings, such as Urgent care centers that provide same-day appointments or services on a walk-in basis.

Primary care involves the widest scope of health care, including all ages of patients, patients of all socioeconomic and geographic origins, patients seeking to maintain optimal health, and patients with all types of acute and chronic physical, mental and social health issues, including multiple chronic diseases. Consequently, a primary care practitioner must possess a wide breadth of knowledge in many areas. Continuity is a key characteristic of primary care, as patients usually prefer to consult the same practitioner for routine check-ups and preventive care, health education, and every time they require an initial consultation about a new health problem. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) is a standardized tool for understanding and analyzing information on interventions in primary care based on the reason for the patient's visit.[11]

Common chronic illnesses usually treated in primary care may include, for example, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, COPD, depression and anxiety, back pain, arthritis or thyroid dysfunction. Primary care also includes many basic maternal and child health care services, such as family planning services and vaccinations. In the United States, the 2013 National Health Interview Survey found that skin disorders (42.7%), osteoarthritis and joint disorders (33.6%), back problems (23.9%), disorders of lipid metabolism (22.4%), and upper respiratory tract disease (22.1%, excluding asthma) were the most common reasons for accessing a physician.[12]

In the United States, primary care physicians have begun to deliver primary care outside of the managed care (insurance-billing) system through direct primary care which is a subset of the more familiar concierge medicine. Physicians in this model bill patients directly for services, either on a pre-paid monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, or bill for each service in the office. Examples of direct primary care practices include Foundation Health in Colorado and Qliance in Washington.

In the context of global population aging, with increasing numbers of older adults at greater risk of chronic non-communicable diseases, rapidly increasing demand for primary care services is expected in both developed and developing countries.[13][14] The World Health Organization attributes the provision of essential primary care as an integral component of an inclusive primary health care strategy.[8]

Secondary care Edit

 
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine and the largest hospital in the United States with 1,547 beds[15]

Secondary care includes acute care: necessary treatment for a short period of time for a brief but serious illness, injury, or other health condition. This care is often found in a hospital emergency department. Secondary care also includes skilled attendance during childbirth, intensive care, and medical imaging services.[16]

The term "secondary care" is sometimes used synonymously with "hospital care". However, many secondary care providers, such as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, most dental specialties or physiotherapists, do not necessarily work in hospitals. Some primary care services are delivered within hospitals. Depending on the organization and policies of the national health system, patients may be required to see a primary care provider for a referral before they can access secondary care.[17][18]

In countries that operate under a mixed market health care system, some physicians limit their practice to secondary care by requiring patients to see a primary care provider first. This restriction may be imposed under the terms of the payment agreements in private or group health insurance plans. In other cases, medical specialists may see patients without a referral, and patients may decide whether self-referral is preferred.

In other countries patient self-referral to a medical specialist for secondary care is rare as prior referral from another physician (either a primary care physician or another specialist) is considered necessary, regardless of whether the funding is from private insurance schemes or national health insurance.

Allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and dietitians, also generally work in secondary care, accessed through either patient self-referral or through physician referral.

Tertiary care Edit

 
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, United Kingdom is a specialist neurological hospital.

Tertiary care is specialized consultative health care, usually for inpatients and on referral from a primary or secondary health professional, in a facility that has personnel and facilities for advanced medical investigation and treatment, such as a tertiary referral hospital.[19]

Examples of tertiary care services are cancer management, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, plastic surgery, treatment for severe burns, advanced neonatology services, palliative, and other complex medical and surgical interventions.[20]

Quaternary care Edit

The term quaternary care is sometimes used as an extension of tertiary care in reference to advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialized and not widely accessed. Experimental medicine and some types of uncommon diagnostic or surgical procedures are considered quaternary care. These services are usually only offered in a limited number of regional or national health care centers.[20][21]

Home and community care Edit

Many types of health care interventions are delivered outside of health facilities. They include many interventions of public health interest, such as food safety surveillance, distribution of condoms and needle-exchange programs for the prevention of transmissible diseases.

They also include the services of professionals in residential and community settings in support of self-care, home care, long-term care, assisted living, treatment for substance use disorders among other types of health and social care services.

Community rehabilitation services can assist with mobility and independence after the loss of limbs or loss of function. This can include prostheses, orthotics, or wheelchairs.

Many countries are dealing with aging populations, so one of the priorities of the health care system is to help seniors live full, independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. There is an entire section of health care geared to providing seniors with help in day-to-day activities at home such as transportation to and from doctor's appointments along with many other activities that are essential for their health and well-being. Although they provide home care for older adults in cooperation, family members and care workers may harbor diverging attitudes and values towards their joint efforts. This state of affairs presents a challenge for the design of ICT (information and communication technology) for home care.[22]

Because statistics show that over 80 million Americans have taken time off of their primary employment to care for a loved one,[23] many countries have begun offering programs such as the Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Program to allow family members to take care of their loved ones without giving up their entire income.[citation needed]

With obesity in children rapidly becoming a major concern, health services often set up programs in schools aimed at educating children about nutritional eating habits, making physical education a requirement and teaching young adolescents to have a positive self-image.[citation needed]

Ratings Edit

Health care ratings are ratings or evaluations of health care used to evaluate the process of care and health care structures and/or outcomes of health care services. This information is translated into report cards that are generated by quality organizations, nonprofit, consumer groups and media. This evaluation of quality is based on measures of:

Related sectors Edit

Health care extends beyond the delivery of services to patients, encompassing many related sectors, and is set within a bigger picture of financing and governance structures.

Health system Edit

A health system, also sometimes referred to as health care system or healthcare system, is the organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care services to populations in need.

Healthcare industry Edit

The healthcare industry incorporates several sectors that are dedicated to providing health care services and products. As a basic framework for defining the sector, the United Nations' International Standard Industrial Classification categorizes health care as generally consisting of hospital activities, medical and dental practice activities, and "other human health activities." The last class involves activities of, or under the supervision of, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, scientific or diagnostic laboratories, pathology clinics, residential health facilities, patient advocates[24] or other allied health professions.

In addition, according to industry and market classifications, such as the Global Industry Classification Standard and the Industry Classification Benchmark, health care includes many categories of medical equipment, instruments and services including biotechnology, diagnostic laboratories and substances, drug manufacturing and delivery.

For example, pharmaceuticals and other medical devices are the leading high technology exports of Europe and the United States.[25][26] The United States dominates the biopharmaceutical field, accounting for three-quarters of the world's biotechnology revenues.[25][27]

Health care research Edit

The quantity and quality of many health care interventions are improved through the results of science, such as advanced through the medical model of health which focuses on the eradication of illness through diagnosis and effective treatment. Many important advances have been made through health research, biomedical research and pharmaceutical research, which form the basis for evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice in health care delivery. Health care research frequently engages directly with patients, and as such issues for whom to engage and how to engage with them become important to consider when seeking to actively include them in studies. While single best practice does not exist, the results of a systematic review on patient engagement suggest that research methods for patient selection need to account for both patient availability and willingness to engage.[28]

Health services research can lead to greater efficiency and equitable delivery of health care interventions, as advanced through the social model of health and disability, which emphasizes the societal changes that can be made to make populations healthier.[29] Results from health services research often form the basis of evidence-based policy in health care systems. Health services research is also aided by initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence for the development of systems of health assessment that are clinically useful, timely, sensitive to change, culturally sensitive, low-burden, low-cost, built into standard procedures, and involve the patient.[30]

Health care financing Edit

See or edit source data.
Total health spending as a fraction of GDP[31]

There are generally five primary methods of funding health care systems:[32]

  1. General taxation to the state, county or municipality
  2. Social health insurance
  3. Voluntary or private health insurance
  4. Out-of-pocket payments
  5. Donations to health charities
 
Life expectancy vs healthcare spending of rich OECD countries. US average of $10,447 in 2018.[33]

In most countries, there is a mix of all five models, but this varies across countries and over time within countries. Aside from financing mechanisms, an important question should always be how much to spend on health care. For the purposes of comparison, this is often expressed as the percentage of GDP spent on health care. In OECD countries for every extra $1000 spent on health care, life expectancy falls by 0.4 years.[34] A similar correlation is seen from the analysis carried out each year by Bloomberg.[35] Clearly this kind of analysis is flawed in that life expectancy is only one measure of a health system's performance, but equally, the notion that more funding is better is not supported.

In 2011, the health care industry consumed an average of 9.3 percent of the GDP or US$ 3,322 (PPP-adjusted) per capita across the 34 members of OECD countries. The US (17.7%, or US$ PPP 8,508), the Netherlands (11.9%, 5,099), France (11.6%, 4,118), Germany (11.3%, 4,495), Canada (11.2%, 5669), and Switzerland (11%, 5,634) were the top spenders, however life expectancy in total population at birth was highest in Switzerland (82.8 years), Japan and Italy (82.7), Spain and Iceland (82.4), France (82.2) and Australia (82.0), while OECD's average exceeds 80 years for the first time ever in 2011: 80.1 years, a gain of 10 years since 1970. The US (78.7 years) ranges only on place 26 among the 34 OECD member countries, but has the highest costs by far. All OECD countries have achieved universal (or almost universal) health coverage, except the US and Mexico.[36][37] (see also international comparisons.)

In the United States, where around 18% of GDP is spent on health care,[35] the Commonwealth Fund analysis of spend and quality shows a clear correlation between worse quality and higher spending.[38]

Expand the OECD charts below to see the breakdown:

  • "Government/compulsory": Government spending and compulsory health insurance.
  • "Voluntary": Voluntary health insurance and private funds such as households’ out-of-pocket payments, NGOs and private corporations.
  • They are represented by columns starting at zero. They are not stacked. The 2 are combined to get the total.
  • At the source you can run your cursor over the columns to get the year and the total for that country.[39]
  • Click the table tab at the source to get 3 lists (one after another) of amounts by country: "Total", "Government/compulsory", and "Voluntary".[39]
 
Health spending by country. Percent of GDP (Gross domestic product). For example: 11.2% for Canada in 2022. 16.6% for the United States in 2022.[39]
 
Total healthcare cost per person. Public and private spending. US dollars PPP. For example: $6,319 for Canada in 2022. $12,555 for the US in 2022.[39]

Administration and regulation Edit

The management and administration of health care is vital to the delivery of health care services. In particular, the practice of health professionals and the operation of health care institutions is typically regulated by national or state/provincial authorities through appropriate regulatory bodies for purposes of quality assurance.[40] Most countries have credentialing staff in regulatory boards or health departments who document the certification or licensing of health workers and their work history.[41]

Health information technology Edit

Health information technology (HIT) is "the application of information processing involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage, retrieval, sharing, and use of health care information, data, and knowledge for communication and decision making."[42]

Health information technology components:

  • Electronic health record (EHR) – An EHR contains a patient's comprehensive medical history, and may include records from multiple providers.[43]
  • Electronic Medical Record (EMR) – An EMR contains the standard medical and clinical data gathered in one's provider's office.[43]
  • Health information exchange (HIE) – Health Information Exchange allows health care professionals and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient's vital medical information electronically.[44]
  • Medical practice management software (MPM) – is designed to streamline the day-to-day tasks of operating a medical facility. Also known as practice management software or practice management system (PMS).
  • Personal health record (PHR) – A PHR is a patient's medical history that is maintained privately, for personal use.[45]

Studies in 2022 focused on identifying how AI algorithms can bolster healthcare system preparedness for future pandemics, using real-time data from mobile devices and showcasing their effectiveness through predictive analysis and adaptive forecasting scenarios.[46]

See also Edit

By country:

References Edit

  1. ^ "Hospital beds per 1,000 people". Our World in Data. from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams Announce Plan for SPARC Kips Bay, First-of-Its-Kind Job and Education Hub for Health and Life Sciences Innovation". State of New York. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  3. ^ Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Monitoring Access to Personal Health Care Services; Millman, M. (1993). Access to Health Care in America. The National Academies Press, US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. doi:10.17226/2009. ISBN 978-0-309-04742-5. PMID 25144064.
  4. ^ "Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Introduction". Rural Health Information Hub. 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Health Topics: Health Systems". www.who.int. World Health Organization. from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  6. ^ World Health Organization. Anniversary of smallpox eradication. Geneva, 18 June 2010.
  7. ^ United States Department of Labor. Employment and Training Administration: Health care 2012-01-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  8. ^ "June 2014". Magazine. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  9. ^ World Health Organization. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  10. ^ World Health Organization. International Classification of Primary Care, Second edition (ICPC-2). 2020-12-22 at the Wayback Machine Geneva. Accessed 24 June 2011.
  11. ^ St Sauver JL, Warner DO, Yawn BP, et al. (January 2013). "Why patients visit their doctors: assessing the most prevalent conditions in a defined American population". Mayo Clin. Proc. 88 (1): 56–67. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.08.020. PMC 3564521. PMID 23274019.
  12. ^ World Health Organization. Aging and life course: Our aging world. 2019-06-11 at the Wayback Machine Geneva. Accessed 24 June 2011.
  13. ^ Simmons J. Primary Care Needs New Innovations to Meet Growing Demands. 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine HealthLeaders Media, May 27, 2009.
  14. ^ "100 of the largest hospitals and health systems in America", Becker's Hospital Review
  15. ^ "Health Care System". the Free Medical Dictionary. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  16. ^ "Secondary Care". MS Trust. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  17. ^ "Difference between primary, secondary and tertiary health care". EInsure. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  18. ^ Johns Hopkins Medicine. Patient Care: Tertiary Care Definition. 2017-07-11 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 27 June 2011.
  19. ^ a b Emory University. School of Medicine. 2011-04-23 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 27 June 2011.
  20. ^ Alberta Physician Link. Levels of Care. 2014-06-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  21. ^ Christensen, L.R.; Grönvall, E. (2011). "ECSCW 2011: Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 24–28 September 2011, Aarhus Denmark". In S. Bødker; N. O. Bouvin; W. Letters; V. Wulf; L. Ciolfi (eds.). ECSCW 2011: Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 24–28 September 2011, Aarhus Denmark. London: Springer. pp. 61–80. doi:10.1007/978-0-85729-913-0_4. ISBN 978-0-85729-912-3.
  22. ^ Porter, Eduardo (29 August 2017). "Home Health Care: Shouldn't It Be Work Worth Doing?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  23. ^ Dorothy Kamaker (21 September 2015). "Patient advocacy services ensure optimum health outcomes". from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  24. ^ a b "The Pharmaceutical Industry in Figures" (pdf). European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations. 2007. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  25. ^ 2008 Annual Report. 2008. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  26. ^ . European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations. Archived from the original on 23 August 2009. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  27. ^ Domecq, Juan Pablo; Prutsky, Gabriela; Elraiyah, Tarig; Wang, Zhen; Nabhan, Mohammed; Shippee, Nathan; Brito, Juan Pablo; Boehmer, Kasey; Hasan, Rim; Firwana, Belal; Erwin, Patricia (26 February 2014). "Patient engagement in research: a systematic review". BMC Health Services Research. 14 (1): 89. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-89. ISSN 1472-6963. PMC 3938901. PMID 24568690.
  28. ^ Bond J.; Bond S. (1994). Sociology and Health Care. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 978-0-443-04059-7.
  29. ^ Erik Cambria; Tim Benson; Chris Eckl; Amir Hussain (2012). "Sentic PROMs: Application of Sentic Computing to the Development of a Novel Unified Framework for Measuring Health-Care Quality". Expert Systems with Applications, Elsevier. Vol. 39. pp. 10533–10543. doi:10.1016/j.eswa.2012.02.120.
  30. ^ Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (22 August 2016). "Global Health". Our World in Data. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  31. ^ World Health Organization. "Regional Overview of Social Health Insurance in South-East Asia.' 2012-09-03 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 02, 2014.
  32. ^ Link between health spending and life expectancy: US is an outlier. May 26, 2017. By Max Roser at Our World in Data. Click the sources tab under the chart for info on the countries, healthcare expenditures, and data sources. See the later version of the chart here.
  33. ^ "Improve operational efficiency in healthcare with RPA". NuAIg. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  34. ^ a b "These Are the Economies With the Most (and Least) Efficient Health Care". BloombergQuint. 19 September 2018. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  35. ^ "Health at a Glance 2013 – OECD Indicators" (PDF). OECD. 21 November 2013. pp. 5, 39, 46, 48. (link). (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  36. ^ "OECD.StatExtracts, Health, Health Status, Life expectancy, Total population at birth, 2011" (online statistics). stats.oecd.org/. OECD's iLibrary. 2013. from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  37. ^ Commonwealth Fund (2018). "Health Care Quality-Spending Interactive | Commonwealth Fund". www.commonwealthfund.org. doi:10.26099/bf4n-8j57. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  38. ^ a b c d OECD Data. Health resources - Health spending. doi:10.1787/8643de7e-en. 2 bar charts: For both: From bottom menus: Countries menu > choose OECD. Check box for "latest data available". Perspectives menu > Check box to "compare variables". Then check the boxes for government/compulsory, voluntary, and total. Click top tab for chart (bar chart). For GDP chart choose "% of GDP" from bottom menu. For per capita chart choose "US dollars/per capita". Click fullscreen button above chart. Click "print screen" key. Click top tab for table, to see data.
  39. ^ World Health Organization, 2003. Quality and accreditation in health care services. Geneva http://www.who.int/hrh/documents/en/quality_accreditation.pdf 2020-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ Tulenko et al., "Framework and measurement issues for monitoring entry into the health workforce." Handbook on monitoring and evaluation of human resources for health. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2012.
  41. ^ "Health information technology — HIT". HealthIT.gov. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
  42. ^ a b "Definition and Benefits of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) | Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov". www.healthit.gov. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  43. ^ "Official Information about Health Information Exchange (HIE) | Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov". www.healthit.gov. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  44. ^ "What is a personal health record? | FAQs | Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov". www.healthit.gov. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  45. ^ Radanliev, Petar; De Roure, David (1 September 2022). "Advancing the cybersecurity of the healthcare system with self-optimising and self-adaptative artificial intelligence (part 2)". Health and Technology. 12 (5): 923–929. doi:10.1007/s12553-022-00691-6. ISSN 2190-7188. PMC 9371953. PMID 35975178.

External links Edit

  •   Media related to Health care at Wikimedia Commons
  •   Travel health travel guide from Wikivoyage

health, care, journal, medical, care, journal, hong, kong, constituency, health, services, constituency, other, uses, disambiguation, healthcare, improvement, health, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration, cure, disease, illness, injury, other, physic. For the journal see Medical Care journal For the Hong Kong constituency see Health Services constituency For other uses see Health care disambiguation Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention diagnosis treatment amelioration or cure of disease illness injury and other physical and mental impairments in people Health care is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields Medicine dentistry pharmacy midwifery nursing optometry audiology psychology occupational therapy physical therapy athletic training and other health professions all constitute health care It includes work done in providing primary care secondary care and tertiary care as well as in public health Global concentrations of health care resources as depicted by the number of physicians per 10 000 individuals by country Data is sourced from a World Health Statistics 2010 a WHO report needs update Graphic of hospital beds per 1000 people globally in 2013 at top 1 NewYork Presbyterian Hospital in New York City a hub for health care and life sciences 2 is one of the world s busiest hospitals below Pictured is the Weill Cornell facility white complex at the center Access to healthcare may vary across countries communities and individuals influenced by social and economic conditions as well as health policies Providing health care services means the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes 3 Factors to consider in terms of healthcare access include financial limitations such as insurance coverage geographical and logistical barriers such as additional transportation costs and the ability to take paid time off work to use such services sociocultural expectations and personal limitations lack of ability to communicate with health care providers poor health literacy low income 4 Limitations to health care services affects negatively the use of medical services the efficacy of treatments and overall outcome well being mortality rates Health systems are organizations established to meet the health needs of targeted populations According to the World Health Organization WHO a well functioning healthcare system requires a financing mechanism a well trained and adequately paid workforce reliable information on which to base decisions and policies and well maintained health facilities to deliver quality medicines and technologies An efficient healthcare system can contribute to a significant part of a country s economy development and industrialization Health care is conventionally regarded as an important determinant in promoting the general physical and mental health and well being of people around the world 5 An example of this was the worldwide eradication of smallpox in 1980 declared by the WHO as the first disease in human history to be eliminated by deliberate healthcare interventions 6 Contents 1 Delivery 1 1 Primary care 1 2 Secondary care 1 3 Tertiary care 1 4 Quaternary care 1 5 Home and community care 1 6 Ratings 2 Related sectors 2 1 Health system 2 2 Healthcare industry 2 3 Health care research 2 4 Health care financing 2 5 Administration and regulation 2 6 Health information technology 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDelivery EditSee also Health professionals nbsp Primary care may be provided in community health centers The delivery of modern health care depends on groups of trained professionals and paraprofessionals coming together as interdisciplinary teams 7 This includes professionals in medicine psychology physiotherapy nursing dentistry midwifery and allied health along with many others such as public health practitioners community health workers and assistive personnel who systematically provide personal and population based preventive curative and rehabilitative care services citation needed While the definitions of the various types of health care vary depending on the different cultural political organizational and disciplinary perspectives there appears to be some consensus that primary care constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process and may also include the provision of secondary and tertiary levels of care 8 Health care can be defined as either public or private citation needed nbsp The emergency room is often a frontline venue for the delivery of primary medical care Primary care Edit Main article Primary care See also Primary health care Ambulatory care and Urgent care nbsp Hospital train Therapist Matvei Mudrov in Khabarovsk Russia 9 Primary care refers to the work of health professionals who act as a first point of consultation for all patients within the health care system 8 10 Such a professional would usually be a primary care physician such as a general practitioner or family physician Another professional would be a licensed independent practitioner such as a physiotherapist or a non physician primary care provider such as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner Depending on the locality and health system organization the patient may see another health care professional first such as a pharmacist or nurse Depending on the nature of the health condition patients may be referred for secondary or tertiary care citation needed Primary care is frequently denoted as the healthcare services which is integral to the local community It can be provided in different settings such as Urgent care centers that provide same day appointments or services on a walk in basis Primary care involves the widest scope of health care including all ages of patients patients of all socioeconomic and geographic origins patients seeking to maintain optimal health and patients with all types of acute and chronic physical mental and social health issues including multiple chronic diseases Consequently a primary care practitioner must possess a wide breadth of knowledge in many areas Continuity is a key characteristic of primary care as patients usually prefer to consult the same practitioner for routine check ups and preventive care health education and every time they require an initial consultation about a new health problem The International Classification of Primary Care ICPC is a standardized tool for understanding and analyzing information on interventions in primary care based on the reason for the patient s visit 11 Common chronic illnesses usually treated in primary care may include for example hypertension diabetes asthma COPD depression and anxiety back pain arthritis or thyroid dysfunction Primary care also includes many basic maternal and child health care services such as family planning services and vaccinations In the United States the 2013 National Health Interview Survey found that skin disorders 42 7 osteoarthritis and joint disorders 33 6 back problems 23 9 disorders of lipid metabolism 22 4 and upper respiratory tract disease 22 1 excluding asthma were the most common reasons for accessing a physician 12 In the United States primary care physicians have begun to deliver primary care outside of the managed care insurance billing system through direct primary care which is a subset of the more familiar concierge medicine Physicians in this model bill patients directly for services either on a pre paid monthly quarterly or annual basis or bill for each service in the office Examples of direct primary care practices include Foundation Health in Colorado and Qliance in Washington In the context of global population aging with increasing numbers of older adults at greater risk of chronic non communicable diseases rapidly increasing demand for primary care services is expected in both developed and developing countries 13 14 The World Health Organization attributes the provision of essential primary care as an integral component of an inclusive primary health care strategy 8 Secondary care Edit nbsp Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami s Leonard M Miller School of Medicine and the largest hospital in the United States with 1 547 beds 15 Secondary care includes acute care necessary treatment for a short period of time for a brief but serious illness injury or other health condition This care is often found in a hospital emergency department Secondary care also includes skilled attendance during childbirth intensive care and medical imaging services 16 The term secondary care is sometimes used synonymously with hospital care However many secondary care providers such as psychiatrists clinical psychologists occupational therapists most dental specialties or physiotherapists do not necessarily work in hospitals Some primary care services are delivered within hospitals Depending on the organization and policies of the national health system patients may be required to see a primary care provider for a referral before they can access secondary care 17 18 In countries that operate under a mixed market health care system some physicians limit their practice to secondary care by requiring patients to see a primary care provider first This restriction may be imposed under the terms of the payment agreements in private or group health insurance plans In other cases medical specialists may see patients without a referral and patients may decide whether self referral is preferred In other countries patient self referral to a medical specialist for secondary care is rare as prior referral from another physician either a primary care physician or another specialist is considered necessary regardless of whether the funding is from private insurance schemes or national health insurance Allied health professionals such as physical therapists respiratory therapists occupational therapists speech therapists and dietitians also generally work in secondary care accessed through either patient self referral or through physician referral Tertiary care Edit nbsp National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London United Kingdom is a specialist neurological hospital Tertiary care is specialized consultative health care usually for inpatients and on referral from a primary or secondary health professional in a facility that has personnel and facilities for advanced medical investigation and treatment such as a tertiary referral hospital 19 Examples of tertiary care services are cancer management neurosurgery cardiac surgery plastic surgery treatment for severe burns advanced neonatology services palliative and other complex medical and surgical interventions 20 Quaternary care Edit The term quaternary care is sometimes used as an extension of tertiary care in reference to advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialized and not widely accessed Experimental medicine and some types of uncommon diagnostic or surgical procedures are considered quaternary care These services are usually only offered in a limited number of regional or national health care centers 20 21 Home and community care Edit See also Public health Many types of health care interventions are delivered outside of health facilities They include many interventions of public health interest such as food safety surveillance distribution of condoms and needle exchange programs for the prevention of transmissible diseases They also include the services of professionals in residential and community settings in support of self care home care long term care assisted living treatment for substance use disorders among other types of health and social care services Community rehabilitation services can assist with mobility and independence after the loss of limbs or loss of function This can include prostheses orthotics or wheelchairs Many countries are dealing with aging populations so one of the priorities of the health care system is to help seniors live full independent lives in the comfort of their own homes There is an entire section of health care geared to providing seniors with help in day to day activities at home such as transportation to and from doctor s appointments along with many other activities that are essential for their health and well being Although they provide home care for older adults in cooperation family members and care workers may harbor diverging attitudes and values towards their joint efforts This state of affairs presents a challenge for the design of ICT information and communication technology for home care 22 Because statistics show that over 80 million Americans have taken time off of their primary employment to care for a loved one 23 many countries have begun offering programs such as the Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Program to allow family members to take care of their loved ones without giving up their entire income citation needed With obesity in children rapidly becoming a major concern health services often set up programs in schools aimed at educating children about nutritional eating habits making physical education a requirement and teaching young adolescents to have a positive self image citation needed Ratings Edit Main article Health care ratings Health care ratings are ratings or evaluations of health care used to evaluate the process of care and health care structures and or outcomes of health care services This information is translated into report cards that are generated by quality organizations nonprofit consumer groups and media This evaluation of quality is based on measures of health plan quality hospital quality of patient experience physician quality quality for other health professionalsRelated sectors EditHealth care extends beyond the delivery of services to patients encompassing many related sectors and is set within a bigger picture of financing and governance structures Health system Edit Main articles Health system and Health care systems by country A health system also sometimes referred to as health care system or healthcare system is the organization of people institutions and resources that deliver health care services to populations in need Healthcare industry Edit See also Healthcare industry and Health economics The healthcare industry incorporates several sectors that are dedicated to providing health care services and products As a basic framework for defining the sector the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification categorizes health care as generally consisting of hospital activities medical and dental practice activities and other human health activities The last class involves activities of or under the supervision of nurses midwives physiotherapists scientific or diagnostic laboratories pathology clinics residential health facilities patient advocates 24 or other allied health professions In addition according to industry and market classifications such as the Global Industry Classification Standard and the Industry Classification Benchmark health care includes many categories of medical equipment instruments and services including biotechnology diagnostic laboratories and substances drug manufacturing and delivery For example pharmaceuticals and other medical devices are the leading high technology exports of Europe and the United States 25 26 The United States dominates the biopharmaceutical field accounting for three quarters of the world s biotechnology revenues 25 27 Health care research Edit Main articles Medical research and Nursing research For a topical guide see Healthcare science The quantity and quality of many health care interventions are improved through the results of science such as advanced through the medical model of health which focuses on the eradication of illness through diagnosis and effective treatment Many important advances have been made through health research biomedical research and pharmaceutical research which form the basis for evidence based medicine and evidence based practice in health care delivery Health care research frequently engages directly with patients and as such issues for whom to engage and how to engage with them become important to consider when seeking to actively include them in studies While single best practice does not exist the results of a systematic review on patient engagement suggest that research methods for patient selection need to account for both patient availability and willingness to engage 28 Health services research can lead to greater efficiency and equitable delivery of health care interventions as advanced through the social model of health and disability which emphasizes the societal changes that can be made to make populations healthier 29 Results from health services research often form the basis of evidence based policy in health care systems Health services research is also aided by initiatives in the field of artificial intelligence for the development of systems of health assessment that are clinically useful timely sensitive to change culturally sensitive low burden low cost built into standard procedures and involve the patient 30 Health care financing Edit See also Healthcare system Health policy Universal health care Health spending as percent of gross domestic product GDP by country and List of countries by total health expenditure per capita Graphs are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues See or edit source data Total health spending as a fraction of GDP 31 There are generally five primary methods of funding health care systems 32 General taxation to the state county or municipality Social health insurance Voluntary or private health insurance Out of pocket payments Donations to health charities nbsp Life expectancy vs healthcare spending of rich OECD countries US average of 10 447 in 2018 33 In most countries there is a mix of all five models but this varies across countries and over time within countries Aside from financing mechanisms an important question should always be how much to spend on health care For the purposes of comparison this is often expressed as the percentage of GDP spent on health care In OECD countries for every extra 1000 spent on health care life expectancy falls by 0 4 years 34 A similar correlation is seen from the analysis carried out each year by Bloomberg 35 Clearly this kind of analysis is flawed in that life expectancy is only one measure of a health system s performance but equally the notion that more funding is better is not supported In 2011 the health care industry consumed an average of 9 3 percent of the GDP or US 3 322 PPP adjusted per capita across the 34 members of OECD countries The US 17 7 or US PPP 8 508 the Netherlands 11 9 5 099 France 11 6 4 118 Germany 11 3 4 495 Canada 11 2 5669 and Switzerland 11 5 634 were the top spenders however life expectancy in total population at birth was highest in Switzerland 82 8 years Japan and Italy 82 7 Spain and Iceland 82 4 France 82 2 and Australia 82 0 while OECD s average exceeds 80 years for the first time ever in 2011 80 1 years a gain of 10 years since 1970 The US 78 7 years ranges only on place 26 among the 34 OECD member countries but has the highest costs by far All OECD countries have achieved universal or almost universal health coverage except the US and Mexico 36 37 see also international comparisons In the United States where around 18 of GDP is spent on health care 35 the Commonwealth Fund analysis of spend and quality shows a clear correlation between worse quality and higher spending 38 Expand the OECD charts below to see the breakdown Government compulsory Government spending and compulsory health insurance Voluntary Voluntary health insurance and private funds such as households out of pocket payments NGOs and private corporations They are represented by columns starting at zero They are not stacked The 2 are combined to get the total At the source you can run your cursor over the columns to get the year and the total for that country 39 Click the table tab at the source to get 3 lists one after another of amounts by country Total Government compulsory and Voluntary 39 nbsp Health spending by country Percent of GDP Gross domestic product For example 11 2 for Canada in 2022 16 6 for the United States in 2022 39 nbsp Total healthcare cost per person Public and private spending US dollars PPP For example 6 319 for Canada in 2022 12 555 for the US in 2022 39 Administration and regulation Edit See also Health professional requisites The management and administration of health care is vital to the delivery of health care services In particular the practice of health professionals and the operation of health care institutions is typically regulated by national or state provincial authorities through appropriate regulatory bodies for purposes of quality assurance 40 Most countries have credentialing staff in regulatory boards or health departments who document the certification or licensing of health workers and their work history 41 Health information technology Edit Further information Health information technology Health information management Health informatics eHealth and Health technology Health information technology HIT is the application of information processing involving both computer hardware and software that deals with the storage retrieval sharing and use of health care information data and knowledge for communication and decision making 42 Health information technology components Electronic health record EHR An EHR contains a patient s comprehensive medical history and may include records from multiple providers 43 Electronic Medical Record EMR An EMR contains the standard medical and clinical data gathered in one s provider s office 43 Health information exchange HIE Health Information Exchange allows health care professionals and patients to appropriately access and securely share a patient s vital medical information electronically 44 Medical practice management software MPM is designed to streamline the day to day tasks of operating a medical facility Also known as practice management software or practice management system PMS Personal health record PHR A PHR is a patient s medical history that is maintained privately for personal use 45 Studies in 2022 focused on identifying how AI algorithms can bolster healthcare system preparedness for future pandemics using real time data from mobile devices and showcasing their effectiveness through predictive analysis and adaptive forecasting scenarios 46 See also EditCategory Health care by country Global health Health equity Health policy Healthcare system Health professionals Tobacco control laws Universal health careBy country References Edit Hospital beds per 1 000 people Our World in Data Archived from the original on 12 April 2020 Retrieved 7 March 2020 Governor Hochul Mayor Adams Announce Plan for SPARC Kips Bay First of Its Kind Job and Education Hub for Health and Life Sciences Innovation State of New York 13 October 2022 Retrieved 13 October 2022 Institute of Medicine US Committee on Monitoring Access to Personal Health Care Services Millman M 1993 Access to Health Care in America The National Academies Press US National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine doi 10 17226 2009 ISBN 978 0 309 04742 5 PMID 25144064 Healthcare Access in Rural Communities Introduction Rural Health Information Hub 2019 Retrieved 14 June 2019 Health Topics Health Systems www who int World Health Organization Archived from the original on 18 July 2019 Retrieved 24 November 2013 World Health Organization Anniversary of smallpox eradication Geneva 18 June 2010 United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Health care Archived 2012 01 29 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 24 2011 a b c Thomas MacLean R et al No Cookie Cutter Response Conceptualizing Primary Health Care Archived 2019 04 12 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 26 August 2014 June 2014 Magazine Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 9 March 2019 World Health Organization Definition of Terms Retrieved 26 August 2014 World Health Organization International Classification of Primary Care Second edition ICPC 2 Archived 2020 12 22 at the Wayback Machine Geneva Accessed 24 June 2011 St Sauver JL Warner DO Yawn BP et al January 2013 Why patients visit their doctors assessing the most prevalent conditions in a defined American population Mayo Clin Proc 88 1 56 67 doi 10 1016 j mayocp 2012 08 020 PMC 3564521 PMID 23274019 World Health Organization Aging and life course Our aging world Archived 2019 06 11 at the Wayback Machine Geneva Accessed 24 June 2011 Simmons J Primary Care Needs New Innovations to Meet Growing Demands Archived 2011 07 11 at the Wayback Machine HealthLeaders Media May 27 2009 100 of the largest hospitals and health systems in America Becker s Hospital Review Health Care System the Free Medical Dictionary Retrieved 21 December 2020 Secondary Care MS Trust Retrieved 22 December 2020 Difference between primary secondary and tertiary health care EInsure 24 January 2017 Retrieved 21 December 2020 Johns Hopkins Medicine Patient Care Tertiary Care Definition Archived 2017 07 11 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 27 June 2011 a b Emory University School of Medicine Archived 2011 04 23 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 27 June 2011 Alberta Physician Link Levels of Care Archived 2014 06 14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 26 August 2014 Christensen L R Gronvall E 2011 ECSCW 2011 Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work 24 28 September 2011 Aarhus Denmark In S Bodker N O Bouvin W Letters V Wulf L Ciolfi eds ECSCW 2011 Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work 24 28 September 2011 Aarhus Denmark London Springer pp 61 80 doi 10 1007 978 0 85729 913 0 4 ISBN 978 0 85729 912 3 Porter Eduardo 29 August 2017 Home Health Care Shouldn t It Be Work Worth Doing The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Dorothy Kamaker 21 September 2015 Patient advocacy services ensure optimum health outcomes Archived from the original on 20 December 2017 Retrieved 26 September 2015 a b The Pharmaceutical Industry in Figures pdf European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations 2007 Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 15 February 2010 2008 Annual Report 2008 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help Europe s competitiveness European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Archived from the original on 23 August 2009 Retrieved 15 February 2010 Domecq Juan Pablo Prutsky Gabriela Elraiyah Tarig Wang Zhen Nabhan Mohammed Shippee Nathan Brito Juan Pablo Boehmer Kasey Hasan Rim Firwana Belal Erwin Patricia 26 February 2014 Patient engagement in research a systematic review BMC Health Services Research 14 1 89 doi 10 1186 1472 6963 14 89 ISSN 1472 6963 PMC 3938901 PMID 24568690 Bond J Bond S 1994 Sociology and Health Care Churchill Livingstone ISBN 978 0 443 04059 7 Erik Cambria Tim Benson Chris Eckl Amir Hussain 2012 Sentic PROMs Application of Sentic Computing to the Development of a Novel Unified Framework for Measuring Health Care Quality Expert Systems with Applications Elsevier Vol 39 pp 10533 10543 doi 10 1016 j eswa 2012 02 120 Ortiz Ospina Esteban Roser Max 22 August 2016 Global Health Our World in Data Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 4 October 2019 World Health Organization Regional Overview of Social Health Insurance in South East Asia Archived 2012 09 03 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved December 02 2014 Link between health spending and life expectancy US is an outlier May 26 2017 By Max Roser at Our World in Data Click the sources tab under the chart for info on the countries healthcare expenditures and data sources See the later version of the chart here Improve operational efficiency in healthcare with RPA NuAIg 2 March 2021 Retrieved 27 May 2021 a b These Are the Economies With the Most and Least Efficient Health Care BloombergQuint 19 September 2018 Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 14 January 2019 Health at a Glance 2013 OECD Indicators PDF OECD 21 November 2013 pp 5 39 46 48 link Archived PDF from the original on 12 April 2019 Retrieved 24 November 2013 OECD StatExtracts Health Health Status Life expectancy Total population at birth 2011 online statistics stats oecd org OECD s iLibrary 2013 Archived from the original on 2 April 2019 Retrieved 24 November 2013 Commonwealth Fund 2018 Health Care Quality Spending Interactive Commonwealth Fund www commonwealthfund org doi 10 26099 bf4n 8j57 Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 14 January 2019 a b c d OECD Data Health resources Health spending doi 10 1787 8643de7e en 2 bar charts For both From bottom menus Countries menu gt choose OECD Check box for latest data available Perspectives menu gt Check box to compare variables Then check the boxes for government compulsory voluntary and total Click top tab for chart bar chart For GDP chart choose of GDP from bottom menu For per capita chart choose US dollars per capita Click fullscreen button above chart Click print screen key Click top tab for table to see data World Health Organization 2003 Quality and accreditation in health care services Geneva http www who int hrh documents en quality accreditation pdf Archived 2020 12 22 at the Wayback Machine Tulenko et al Framework and measurement issues for monitoring entry into the health workforce Handbook on monitoring and evaluation of human resources for health Geneva World Health Organization 2012 Health information technology HIT HealthIT gov Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 5 August 2014 a b Definition and Benefits of Electronic Medical Records EMR Providers amp Professionals HealthIT gov www healthit gov Retrieved 27 November 2017 Official Information about Health Information Exchange HIE Providers amp Professionals HealthIT gov www healthit gov Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 27 November 2017 What is a personal health record FAQs Providers amp Professionals HealthIT gov www healthit gov Archived from the original on 22 December 2020 Retrieved 27 November 2017 Radanliev Petar De Roure David 1 September 2022 Advancing the cybersecurity of the healthcare system with self optimising and self adaptative artificial intelligence part 2 Health and Technology 12 5 923 929 doi 10 1007 s12553 022 00691 6 ISSN 2190 7188 PMC 9371953 PMID 35975178 External links Edit nbsp Media related to Health care at Wikimedia Commons nbsp Travel health travel guide from Wikivoyage Portals nbsp Medicine nbsp Society nbsp Health care Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Health care amp oldid 1178124095, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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