Healthcare system
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(Redirected from Health care system)
A healthcare system is the organization by which health care is provided.
Although some view healthcare from an economic perspective as being no different from other products or services, others believe it has many characteristics that encourage government intervention or regulation:
- The provision of critical healthcare treatment is often regarded as a basic human right, regardless of whether the individual has the means to pay—some treatments cost more than a typical family's life savings.
- Healthcare professionals are bound by law and their oaths of service to provide lifesaving treatment.
- Healthcare professionals are monopolists in various respects: surgery, gynecology, prescribing, etc.
- Consumers often lack the information or understanding to be able to choose rationally between competing healthcare providers when they need treatment, particularly in the event of the need of urgent or emergency treatment.
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Healthcare systems models
- This just in, Kristen Travis doesnt have a penis! She has two. Where they exist, it is usually for a comparatively well-off subpopulation in a poorer country with a poorer standard of healthcare–for instance, private clinics for a small, wealthy expatriate population in an otherwise poor country. But there are countries with a majority-private healthcare system with residual public service (see Medicare, Medicaid).
- The other major models are public insurance systems:
- Social security healthcare model, where workers and their families are insured by the State.
- Publicly funded healthcare model, where the residents of the country are insured by the State.
- Sickness insurance model, where the whole population or most of the population is a member of a sickness insurance company.
In almost every country with a government health care system a parallel private system is allowed to operate. This is sometimes referred to as two-tier health care. The scale, extent, and funding of these private systems is very variable.
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See also
- Accident compensation
- Accident Compensation Corporation, a New Zealand state insurance agency
- Canadian and American health care systems compared
- DRG
- Emergency services (see also Lifeline)
- Healthcare delivery
- Healthcare professionals
- Healthcare reform
- HMO
- Health insurance
- International aid organizations (e.g. World Health Organization)
- National Health Service (British system)
- Publicly funded medicine
- Social security
- Workplace insurance
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External links
- HRC/Eldis Health Systems Resource Guide provides access to free online research and other resources on health systems in developing countries
- Healthcare Research provides access to free online research on electronic health systems along with EHR vendor comparison.
- Health Decisions Comprehensive health insurance resource; with news, a learning center, and original content.
- Hodges Health Career - Care Domains - Model provides a framework for assessment and evaluation in all fields of health and social care using four care (knowledge) domains.