Health care is one of the largest, most important industries in any country. In many countries, it consumes between 3 and nearly 18 percent of gross national product (GNP). It provides vital services to the health and well-being of individuals, as well as to communities and economies. It also provides employment opportunities to thousands of skilled and unskilled workers. In many cases, it is a key component of community well-being and contributes to a sense of social connectedness. In contrast to other manufacturing industries, health care is a service industry, which requires specialized knowledge and expertise. In addition to providing a variety of medical and health services, health care includes educational, research, and support activities.
The main goal of health care is to restore and maintain the physical and mental well-being of people. This can be achieved by a wide range of interventions and services, such as:
Physicians must be competent and able to identify the most effective and appropriate treatment for each patient’s condition. This is a difficult task, given the complexity of diseases and the wide spectrum of patient responses to different treatments. Doctors must be able to use several sources of information, including their own experience and the results of previous tests, to make decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment. They must be able to communicate effectively with their patients and with other health professionals.
Moreover, health care should be people-centred, which involves recognizing and responding to individual patient preferences, needs and values. It should be efficient, maximizing the benefit of available resources and avoiding waste. Finally, it should be evidence-based, relying on the current state of professional knowledge to support practice.
There are many factors that influence health care quality, including the availability of technology and equipment; financial resources; lifestyle, such as diet and exercise; and environmental conditions. The health care system is a complex network of organizations and individuals, each with its own set of goals and priorities. Therefore, there are often conflicts between competing interests and needs.
In the United States, the health care system is a mix of private and public sector providers and insurers. The government provides some insurance coverage through Medicare and Medicaid, and most individuals purchase their own health care through private health insurance plans. The cost of health care in the United States is much higher than in other industrialized nations, partly due to greater utilization of medical technology and the prevalence of chronic diseases.
In 2009-2010, about 10 percent of people ages 18 to 64 had difficulty accessing health care because of cost, which included delaying or not getting needed care and having trouble finding a regular source of health care. The problem was more prevalent among lower-income families. In addition, racial and ethnic minority populations are less likely to have regular health care, which can lead to serious and costly complications.