Healthcare services
Healthcare services refer to a wide range of medical care and support services provided by trained professionals to individuals in need of health assistance. These services encompass preventive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative care, as well as health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
Overview[edit | edit source]
Healthcare services are delivered by healthcare providers or professionals in various fields, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, psychology, and other health professions. These services can be provided in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, nursing homes, outpatient surgery centers, and the patient's home.
Types of Healthcare Services[edit | edit source]
Primary Care[edit | edit source]
Primary care is the first point of contact for individuals seeking healthcare services. It includes general practice, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology.
Secondary Care[edit | edit source]
Secondary care involves services provided by medical specialists and other health professionals who do not have first contact with patients, such as cardiologists, urologists, and dermatologists.
Tertiary Care[edit | edit source]
Tertiary care refers to specialized consultative healthcare, 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.
Quaternary Care[edit | edit source]
Quaternary care is an extension of tertiary care in reference to advanced levels of medicine which are highly specialized and not widely accessed.
Access to Healthcare Services[edit | edit source]
Access to healthcare services is influenced by several factors, including the affordability of services, the distance to healthcare facilities, and the availability of healthcare providers. In many countries, healthcare services are provided by the government, while in others, they are provided by private institutions.
Quality of Healthcare Services[edit | edit source]
The quality of healthcare services is determined by various factors, including the competence of healthcare providers, the adequacy of facilities, and the effectiveness of treatment. Quality healthcare services are those that are safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.
See Also[edit | edit source]
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
