Health Services Research

The Health Services Research Section aims to serve as a network of researchers that are involved in the various aspects of this discipline. The workshop of the section at the annual EUPHA/EPH conferences provides a meeting place for members and other researchers and policy makers that bear an interest in health services research.

The Section aims to advance the current practices in health services research by promoting research, networking and exchange of expertise by means of international co-operation in the field. The quick and profound changes in the majority of health systems and in the delivery of health services around Europe provide inspiration to further develop the tools and methodologies in this young scientific discipline in public health.

This EUPHA section was established in 1992, making it one of the largest section networks in EUPHA. As of 7 November 2012, the section has merged with the section on the utilisation of medicines.

The EUPHA section HSR has strong links to the Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research (NIVEL) and has been actively involved in their project ‘HSR Europe’ which aimed at identifying, evaluating and improving the contribution of Health Services Research.

The (new) definition of health services research used by the American Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy is: “Health services research is 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.” (Lohr and Steinwachs, 2002) From this definition, it is clear that health services research covers a very broad domain, ranging e.g. from international comparisons of payment systems to studies of individuals’ help-seeking behaviour, and from quality of care research to economic evaluations.