Health care

Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of <a href="/facts/Health/jjTlJf6m">health</a> via the <a href="/facts/Preventive_healthcare/pWGlacXu">prevention</a>, <a href="/facts/Diagnosis/VcsPwshd">diagnosis</a>, <a href="/facts/Therapy/2ytkGbgT">treatment</a>, amelioration or <a href="/facts/Cure/GdeXt9g3">cure</a> of <a href="/facts/Disease/55eeQlGL">disease</a>, <a href="/facts/Illness/55eeQlGL">illness</a>, <a href="/facts/Injury/PJ7CbnMQ">injury</a>, and other <a href="/facts/Disability/vr9BPUxo">physical and mental impairments</a> in people. Health care is delivered by <a href="/facts/Health_professional/m5e2jXHp">health professionals</a> and <a href="/facts/Allied_health_professions/Jcp7hx1X">allied health fields</a>. <a href="/facts/Medicine/2fnp90Je">Medicine</a>, <a href="/facts/Dentistry/p8b1zmts">dentistry</a>, <a href="/facts/Pharmacy/P2KTFVdW">pharmacy</a>, <a href="/facts/Midwifery/vdh9DMEK">midwifery</a>, <a href="/facts/Nursing/xbmA4GNC">nursing</a>, <a href="/facts/Optometry/7QlrKXm2">optometry</a>, <a href="/facts/Audiology/Tjws1CnA">audiology</a>, <a href="/facts/Psychology/duoqW7Sz">psychology</a>, <a href="/facts/Occupational_therapy/eKTxd7kM">occupational therapy</a>, <a href="/facts/Physical_therapy/q24XDqHF">physical therapy</a>, <a href="/facts/Athletic_training/T54jXmDe">athletic training</a>, and other <a href="/facts/Health_profession/0X82Ts4v">health professions</a> all constitute health care. The term includes work done in providing <a href="/facts/Primary_care/7oDNVSE0">primary care</a>, secondary care, <a href="/facts/Tertiary_care/LPS1WKbI">tertiary care</a>, and <a href="/facts/Public_health/4563Kre9">public health</a>.
Access to health care may vary across countries, communities, and individuals, influenced by social and economic conditions and <a href="/facts/Health_policy/An7lRwBd">health policies</a>. Providing health care services means "the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes". Factors to consider in terms of health care access include financial limitations (such as insurance coverage), <a href="/facts/Geography/TRd1Toyo">geographical</a> and <a href="/facts/Logistics/0Hr2w55W">logistical</a> barriers (such as additional transportation costs and the ability to take paid time off work to use such services), <a href="/facts/Sociocultural/7KgkjD6H">sociocultural</a> expectations, and personal limitations (lack of ability to communicate with health care providers, poor <a href="/facts/Health_literacy/3kN0lNsf">health literacy</a>, low income). Limitations to health care services affect negatively the use of medical services, the efficacy of treatments, and overall outcome (well-being, mortality rates).
<a href="/facts/Health_system/LpM7ISXR">Health systems</a> are the <a href="/facts/Organization/CR83f1Rn">organizations</a> established to meet the health needs of targeted populations. According to the <a href="/facts/World_Health_Organization/YNN3bgug">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), a well-functioning health care system requires a financing mechanism, a well-trained and adequately paid <a href="/facts/Health_Human_Resources/utoBefUd">workforce</a>, reliable information on which to base decisions and <a href="/facts/Health_policy/An7lRwBd">policies</a>, and well-maintained <a href="/facts/Health_facilities/U9LKT3lS">health facilities</a> to deliver quality medicines and technologies.
An efficient health care system can contribute to a significant part of a country's <a href="/facts/Economic_system/N4SBdoxS">economy</a>, development, and <a href="/facts/Industrialization/h3QXzS6C">industrialization</a>. Health care is an important determinant in promoting the general <a href="/facts/Physical_health/yzPVrjTs">physical</a> and <a href="/facts/Mental_health/QIszfk6D">mental health</a> and <a href="/facts/Well-being/h1dsU4VU">well-being</a> of people around the world. An example of this was the worldwide <a href="/facts/Eradication_of_infectious_diseases/yraEql8B">eradication</a> of <a href="/facts/Smallpox/cxNeetP4">smallpox</a> in 1980, declared by the WHO, as the first <a href="/facts/Disease/55eeQlGL">disease</a> in human history to be eliminated by deliberate health care interventions.

Health care open-in-new

Health care