Health care system
Health care system
The health care system (pronunciation: /ˈhelTH ˈker ˈsistəm/) is a complex network of organizations, facilities, and individuals who provide medical services to populations. The primary goal of a health care system is to maintain and improve the health of the individuals it serves.
Etymology
The term "health care system" is derived from the combination of the words "health care" and "system". "Health care" is a compound word that originated in the late 19th century, with "health" coming from the Old English "hǣlth", and "care" from the Old English "caru". "System" comes from the Latin "systema", meaning a whole compounded of several parts or members.
Components of a Health Care System
A health care system typically includes several key components:
- Health care providers: These are individuals or organizations that provide medical services. This can include doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies.
- Health insurance: This is a type of insurance coverage that pays for medical and surgical expenses incurred by the insured.
- Public health: This refers to the efforts of a society or government to prevent disease and promote health among its population.
- Health care policy: This refers to the decisions, plans, and actions undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society.
Related Terms
- Primary care: This is the day-to-day health care given by a health care provider.
- Secondary care: This is health care services provided by medical specialists and other health professionals who do not have first contact with patients.
- Tertiary care: This is specialized consultative health care, usually for inpatients and on referral from a primary or secondary health professional.
- Quaternary care: This is an extension of tertiary care in reference to advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialized and not widely accessed.
- Health care quality: This is a measure of the value provided by a health care system.
- Health care reform: This refers to changes in health policy that affect health care delivery.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Health care system
- Wikipedia's article - Health care system
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski