Services designed for HEALTH PROMOTION and prevention of disease.

A cabinet department in the Executive Branch of the United States Government concerned with administering those agencies and offices having programs pertaining to health and human services.

Organized services to provide health care to women. It excludes maternal care services for which MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES is available.

The degree to which individuals are inhibited or facilitated in their ability to gain entry to and to receive care and services from the health care system. Factors influencing this ability include geographic, architectural, transportational, and financial considerations, among others.

Planning for needed health and/or welfare services and facilities.

The purposes, missions, and goals of an individual organization or its units, established through administrative processes. It includes an organization's long-range plans and administrative philosophy.

Behaviors expressed by individuals to protect, maintain or promote their health status. For example, proper diet, and appropriate exercise are activities perceived to influence health status. Life style is closely associated with health behavior and factors influencing life style are socioeconomic, educational, and cultural.

Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.

A medical specialty primarily concerned with prevention of disease (PRIMARY PREVENTION) and the promotion and preservation of health in the individual.

Services for the diagnosis and treatment of disease and the maintenance of health.

Organized services to provide mental health care.

Social and economic factors that characterize the individual or group within the social structure.

Health services required by a population or community as well as the health services that the population or community is able and willing to pay for.

The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures.

The integration of epidemiologic, sociological, economic, and other analytic sciences in the study of health services. Health services research is usually concerned with relationships between need, demand, supply, use, and outcome of health services. The aim of the research is evaluation, particularly in terms of structure, process, output, and outcome. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)

The concept concerned with all aspects of providing and distributing health services to a patient population.

Organized services to provide health care for children.

Statistical measures of utilization and other aspects of the provision of health care services including hospitalization and ambulatory care.

Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive health services provided for individuals in the community.

The seeking and acceptance by patients of health service.

Branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and control of disease and disability, and the promotion of physical and mental health of the population on the international, national, state, or municipal level.

Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)

Organized services to provide health care to adolescents, ages ranging from 13 through 18 years.

Health care services related to human REPRODUCTION and diseases of the reproductive system. Services are provided to both sexes and usually by physicians in the medical or the surgical specialties such as REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE; ANDROLOGY; GYNECOLOGY; OBSTETRICS; and PERINATOLOGY.

Health services, public or private, in rural areas. The services include the promotion of health and the delivery of health care.

The levels of excellence which characterize the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality.

Services for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the aged and the maintenance of health in the elderly.

Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.

A systematic collection of factual data pertaining to health and disease in a human population within a given geographic area.

Public attitudes toward health, disease, and the medical care system.

Innovation and improvement of the health care system by reappraisal, amendment of services, and removal of faults and abuses in providing and distributing health services to patients. It includes a re-alignment of health services and health insurance to maximum demographic elements (the unemployed, indigent, uninsured, elderly, inner cities, rural areas) with reference to coverage, hospitalization, pricing and cost containment, insurers' and employers' costs, pre-existing medical conditions, prescribed drugs, equipment, and services.

Insurance providing coverage of medical, surgical, or hospital care in general or for which there is no specific heading.

Health services, public or private, in urban areas. The services include the promotion of health and the delivery of health care.

Organized services to provide health care to expectant and nursing mothers.

Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive mental health services provided for individuals in the community.

Specific practices for the prevention of disease or mental disorders in susceptible individuals or populations. These include HEALTH PROMOTION, including mental health; protective procedures, such as COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL; and monitoring and regulation of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS. Primary prevention is to be distinguished from SECONDARY PREVENTION and TERTIARY PREVENTION.

Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL).

Preferentially rated health-related activities or functions to be used in establishing health planning goals. This may refer specifically to PL93-641.

Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease.

Health services for employees, usually provided by the employer at the place of work.

The state wherein the person is well adjusted.

The organization and administration of health services dedicated to the delivery of health care.

Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time.

Education that increases the awareness and favorably influences the attitudes and knowledge relating to the improvement of health on a personal or community basis.

Predetermined sets of questions used to collect data - clinical data, social status, occupational group, etc. The term is often applied to a self-completed survey instrument.

A system of medical care regulated, controlled and financed by the government, in which the government assumes responsibility for the health needs of the population.

Components of a national health care system which administer specific services, e.g., national health insurance.

Systematic and thorough inspection of the patient for physical signs of disease or abnormality.

Institutions which provide medical or health-related services.

Health care programs or services designed to assist individuals in the planning of family size. Various methods of CONTRACEPTION can be used to control the number and timing of childbirths.

The amounts spent by individuals, groups, nations, or private or public organizations for total health care and/or its various components. These amounts may or may not be equivalent to the actual costs (HEALTH CARE COSTS) and may or may not be shared among the patient, insurers, and/or employers.

Management of public health organizations or agencies.

Men and women working in the provision of health services, whether as individual practitioners or employees of health institutions and programs, whether or not professionally trained, and whether or not subject to public regulation. (From A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, 1976)

The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease.

A constituent organization of the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES concerned with protecting and improving the health of the nation.

A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.

Health care provided to specific cultural or tribal peoples which incorporates local customs, beliefs, and taboos.

Community health and NURSING SERVICES providing coordinated multiple services to the patient at the patient's homes. These home-care services are provided by a visiting nurse, home health agencies, HOSPITALS, or organized community groups using professional staff for care delivery. It differs from HOME NURSING which is provided by non-professionals.

The concept covering the physical and mental conditions of women.

A health care system which combines physicians, hospitals, and other medical services with a health plan to provide the complete spectrum of medical care for its customers. In a fully integrated system, the three key elements - physicians, hospital, and health plan membership - are in balance in terms of matching medical resources with the needs of purchasers and patients. (Coddington et al., Integrated Health Care: Reorganizing the Physician, Hospital and Health Plan Relationship, 1994, p7)

Conversations with an individual or individuals held in order to obtain information about their background and other personal biographical data, their attitudes and opinions, etc. It includes school admission or job interviews.

Those actions designed to carry out recommendations pertaining to health plans or programs.

Studies designed to assess the efficacy of programs. They may include the evaluation of cost-effectiveness, the extent to which objectives are met, or impact.

The concept pertaining to the health status of inhabitants of the world.

Planning for the equitable allocation, apportionment, or distribution of available health resources.

A division of the UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE that is responsible for the public health and the provision of medical services to NATIVE AMERICANS in the United States, primarily those residing on reservation lands.

The optimal state of the mouth and normal functioning of the organs of the mouth without evidence of disease.

Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.

Statistical models which describe the relationship between a qualitative dependent variable (that is, one which can take only certain discrete values, such as the presence or absence of a disease) and an independent variable. A common application is in epidemiology for estimating an individual's risk (probability of a disease) as a function of a given risk factor.

Psychiatric illness or diseases manifested by breakdowns in the adaptational process expressed primarily as abnormalities of thought, feeling, and behavior producing either distress or impairment of function.

Services designed to promote, maintain, or restore dental health.

Generally refers to the amount of protection available and the kind of loss which would be paid for under an insurance contract with an insurer. (Slee & Slee, Health Care Terms, 2d ed)

The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.

The status of health in rural populations.

Visits made by patients to health service providers' offices for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

The activities and endeavors of the public health services in a community on any level.

The total number of cases of a given disease in a specified population at a designated time. It is differentiated from INCIDENCE, which refers to the number of new cases in the population at a given time.

Planning for health resources at a regional or multi-state level.

The promotion and maintenance of physical and mental health in the work environment.

A situation in which the level of living of an individual, family, or group is below the standard of the community. It is often related to a specific income level.

Research aimed at assessing the quality and effectiveness of health care as measured by the attainment of a specified end result or outcome. Measures include parameters such as improved health, lowered morbidity or mortality, and improvement of abnormal states (such as elevated blood pressure).

Variation in rates of disease occurrence and disabilities between population groups defined by socioeconomic characteristics such as age, ethnicity, economic resources, or gender and populations identified geographically or similar measures.

Activities and programs intended to assure or improve the quality of care in either a defined medical setting or a program. The concept includes the assessment or evaluation of the quality of care; identification of problems or shortcomings in the delivery of care; designing activities to overcome these deficiencies; and follow-up monitoring to ensure effectiveness of corrective steps.

A province of Canada lying between the provinces of Manitoba and Quebec. Its capital is Toronto. It takes its name from Lake Ontario which is said to represent the Iroquois oniatariio, beautiful lake. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p892 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p391)

An approach of practicing medicine with the goal to improve and evaluate patient care. It requires the judicious integration of best research evidence with the patient's values to make decisions about medical care. This method is to help physicians make proper diagnosis, devise best testing plan, choose best treatment and methods of disease prevention, as well as develop guidelines for large groups of patients with the same disease. (from JAMA 296 (9), 2006)

Ongoing scrutiny of a population (general population, study population, target population, etc.), generally using methods distinguished by their practicability, uniformity, and frequently their rapidity, rather than by complete accuracy.

Economic sector concerned with the provision, distribution, and consumption of health care services and related products.

Available manpower, facilities, revenue, equipment, and supplies to produce requisite health care and services.

Health care services provided to patients on an ambulatory basis, rather than by admission to a hospital or other health care facility. The services may be a part of a hospital, augmenting its inpatient services, or may be provided at a free-standing facility.

The inspection of one's breasts, usually for signs of disease, especially neoplastic disease.

The smallest continent and an independent country, comprising six states and two territories. Its capital is Canberra.

Facilities which administer the delivery of health care services to people living in a community or neighborhood.

Health care provided to individuals.

An infant during the first month after birth.

Differences in access to or availability of medical facilities and services.

The giving of advice and assistance to individuals with educational or personal problems.

Radiographic examination of the breast.

Outside services provided to an institution under a formal financial agreement.

Diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests and x-rays, routinely performed on all individuals or specified categories of individuals in a specified situation, e.g., patients being admitted to the hospital. These include routine tests administered to neonates.

Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.

The availability of HEALTH PERSONNEL. It includes the demand and recruitment of both professional and allied health personnel, their present and future supply and distribution, and their assignment and utilization.

Federal, state, or local government organized methods of financial assistance.

A geographic area defined and served by a health program or institution.

The status of health in urban populations.

Planning that has the goals of improving health, improving accessibility to health services, and promoting efficiency in the provision of services and resources on a comprehensive basis for a whole community. (From Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care Management, 1988, p299)

The interactions between physician and patient.

Preventive health services provided for students. It excludes college or university students.

The process of leaving one's country to establish residence in a foreign country.

Systematic gathering of data for a particular purpose from various sources, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, existing records, and electronic devices. The process is usually preliminary to statistical analysis of the data.

The inhabitants of a city or town, including metropolitan areas and suburban areas.

Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care. (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)

The science of controlling or modifying those conditions, influences, or forces surrounding man which relate to promoting, establishing, and maintaining health.

The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs.

Any type of research that employs nonnumeric information to explore individual or group characteristics, producing findings not arrived at by statistical procedures or other quantitative means. (Qualitative Inquiry: A Dictionary of Terms Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1997)

The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural.

A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships.

Health services for college and university students usually provided by the educational institution.

Application of marketing principles and techniques to maximize the use of health care resources.

The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.

Systematic identification of a population's needs or the assessment of individuals to determine the proper level of services needed.

An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, or inborn or inherited characteristic, which, on the basis of epidemiologic evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.

Telephone surveys are conducted to monitor prevalence of the major behavioral risks among adults associated with premature MORBIDITY and MORTALITY. The data collected is in regard to actual behaviors, rather than on attitudes or knowledge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 1984.

A specialized agency of the United Nations designed as a coordinating authority on international health work; its aim is to promote the attainment of the highest possible level of health by all peoples.

That distinct portion of the institutional, industrial, or economic structure of a country that is controlled or owned by non-governmental, private interests.

The branch of dentistry concerned with the prevention of disease and the maintenance and promotion of oral health.

A method of data collection and a QUALITATIVE RESEARCH tool in which a small group of individuals are brought together and allowed to interact in a discussion of their opinions about topics, issues, or questions.

Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed)

Services specifically designed, staffed, and equipped for the emergency care of patients.

The degree to which the individual regards the health care service or product or the manner in which it is delivered by the provider as useful, effective, or beneficial.

Educational attainment or level of education of individuals.

A management function in which standards and guidelines are developed for the development, maintenance, and handling of forms and records.

Those physicians who have completed the education requirements specified by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Geographic area in which a professional person practices; includes primarily physicians and dentists.

The area of a nation's economy that is tax-supported and under government control.

Directions or principles presenting current or future rules of policy for assisting health care practitioners in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances. The guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. The guidelines form a basis for the evaluation of all aspects of health care and delivery.

A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. Cost effectiveness compares alternative ways to achieve a specific set of results.

Activities concerned with governmental policies, functions, etc.

The physical condition of human reproductive systems.

Collection of pooled secretions of the posterior vaginal fornix for cytologic examination.