Health Services Research, Part 1: Introduction
What Is Health Services Research?
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Association for Health Services Research (AHSR), defines health services.
The 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.
- HSR studies can focus on personal health care outcomes, structure, or process. For example, the Center for Health Services Research (CHSR) at the University of Texas Health Science Center describes the following major health services research areas.
- Clarify the costs and benefits of health promotion, protection, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services (Outcomes)
- Identify and evaluate financing and service delivery initiatives to better serve uninsured, low-income populations (Structure)
- Identify and evaluate relevant federal, state, and local health policies related to these issues (Process)
Provider organizations and health plans are charged with assessing health outcomes. Advocacy groups and governmental agencies may focus on studying the structure and processes of delivery.
Why Health Services Research Is Important Now
Health Services Research focuses on generating health outcome data for provider agencies. Health plans will only increase in importance as funders develop heightened expectations for documentation and reporting of health outcomes. Provider agencies and health plans that bid on competitive business must explain how they plan to measure health when writing responses to Requests for Proposals. States that pursue Value-Based Purchasing initiatives will expect contracted health plans to demonstrate health outcomes to receive incentive payments.
When the principles of applied social science methods are not adequately followed, HSR studies often do not generate meaningful and useful data. As survey research methods are a primary way of gathering large amounts of data about a population of individuals receiving health services efficiently and cost-effectively, many provider organizations and health plans can benefit from developing stronger capacity in survey research for measuring health outcomes.
The Series
This series of articles discusses the following topics.
- Various types of health-related surveys and outcomes that can be measured
- Creating meaningful research questions
- Conceptualizing and operationalizing variables
- Developing sophisticated survey questions
Part 1: Introduction to Health Services Research
Part 2: Types of Surveys & Outcomes
Part 3: Research Questions
Part 4: Conceptual & Operational Definitions
Part 5: Writing Survey Questions
For more information, check out:
Crestline Advisors
Compliance Resource Center
Resources Include
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1430351/pdf/hesr_01020.pdf
As an experienced health care professional, Susan (Sue) Dess brings a wide range of experiences to Crestline. Her 15 year administrative and executive management background spans the operations of both managed care and provider organizations.
Additionally, Sue spent 25 years as an Emergency Room and Intensive Care Registered Nurse, further rounding out her ability to understand the “big picture.” Sue is intimately involved with each Crestline project, collaborating closely with consultants and clients.
