6 Health Systems and Public Health Free Online FlashCards

What is a health system?

A health system includes the organizations, people, resources, and actions whose main purpose is to promote, restore, or maintain health.

What are the WHO health-system building blocks?

Leadership and governance; service delivery; health workforce; health information systems; medical products and technologies; and health financing.

What are the three core functions of health financing?

Revenue raising collects money, pooling combines prepaid funds to share costs, and purchasing uses pooled funds to pay providers.

How does pooling health funds help protect people?

Pooling combines prepaid funds so costs can be shared across people and over time, protecting individuals from paying the full cost of illness when care is needed.

What is universal health coverage?

Universal health coverage is the goal that everyone can obtain the quality health services they need without financial hardship; it is not a single financing model.

How do personal health services differ from population-level public health services?

Personal health services meet individual needs, while population-level public health services protect or improve health across communities.

What roles does primary health care connect?

Primary health care connects first-contact clinical care with prevention, health promotion, community engagement, and referral to specialized services.

Name two barriers that can prevent access to health services.

Distance, cost, limited clinic hours, language access, and workforce shortages can keep people from receiving services, even when a program formally exists.

What do structure, process, and outcomes assess?

Structure describes available resources and arrangements; process describes what the system does; outcomes describe the results.

Why should health-system performance use multiple indicators?

No single measure gives a complete picture; assessment should consider service availability and use, quality and safety, health outcomes, costs, and financial protection.

Why examine health-system measures across population groups?

An overall average can conceal differences in access or outcomes among groups, such as those defined by income, age, or location.

What distinguishes the primary roles of clinical care and public health?

Clinical services primarily meet individuals’ needs; public health works to protect and improve health across communities and populations.