Health services research

Health Services Research

Health Services Research (HSR), pronounced /ˈhɛlθ ˈsɜːrvɪsɪz rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/, is a multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately our health and well-being. Its research domains are individuals, families, organizations, institutions, communities, and populations.

Etymology

The term "Health Services Research" is derived from the English words "health", "services", and "research". "Health" comes from the Old English hǣlth, which has the base meaning of "whole". "Services" is derived from the Old English sērvice, meaning "the action of serving, helping, or benefiting; conduct tending to the welfare or advantage of another". "Research" comes from the Middle French recherche, which means "to investigate thoroughly".

Related Terms

Health care: The organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community.
Health technology: The application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of lives.
Health economics: A branch of economics concerned with issues related to efficiency, effectiveness, value and behavior in the production and consumption of health and healthcare.
Public health: The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals.
Epidemiology: The study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.