Health Care - Understanding Healthcare
Health-care, health care, or healthcare in general is the medical care provided by health practitioners to people who are incapacitated through a disease or illness. The term healthcare includes all aspects of treatment of the human body from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and prevention of future disease or disability. Health care refers to medical services rendered to individuals as a consequence of illnesses or injury. Health professionals working in allied health professions deliver health care. For example, a doctor might treat an individual suffering from acute respiratory illness but might also provide primary health care services such as referring patients to an appropriate specialist for further care.
In the United States, the concept of healthcare has been around since at least the 1800s. At that time, doctors provided medical care to a group of people in order to relieve their distress and give them the chance to recover. As more was learned about what causes disease and how to prevent it, healthcare became more specialized. As technology progressed and the focus shifted to curing disease rather than merely treating the symptoms, healthcare became a science. Today, healthcare, as well as the terminology used to describe it, are widely used throughout the country and globally.
One way in which the term "healthcare" is commonly understood is to refer to the entire healthcare system. While this definition is used frequently in North America, healthcare encompasses a wide range of health care disciplines. For instance, while a doctor may prescribe a medicine for an individual patient, he does not provide any type of healthcare. Instead, he administers healthcare by prescribing medication for his patient and ensuring that he takes his prescribed medicine on a regular basis.
The term "medical professionals" encompasses all medical professionals engaged in the delivery of healthcare services. A hospitalist treats patients in the hospital. A nurse administers the medicines prescribed by the doctor and assists in the treatment of patients. An x-ray technician provides a diagnostic service that allows the doctor to make a diagnosis of a patient's condition.
In addition to hospitals, doctors' offices, nursing homes and rehabilitation centers provide outpatient healthcare services. Patients are seen in these areas on a day-to-day basis. Physicians may see patients who are in pain or are suffering from an illness on a regular basis. A rehabilitation center may treat patients with an illness who have been unable to work because of an accident or are unable to complete routine tasks required to live a productive life. Click here Testosterone
Another area where healthcare is important is when a patient's condition requires special attention is during recovery. The term rehabilitation means to improve a patient's condition. An example of this might be a person recovering from a stroke. Rehabilitation is performed during the period after the patient's stroke to allow him or her to function independently at home. Rehabilitation is essential to prevent the recurrence of stroke. After a stroke, a patient may regain some or all of his or her ability to communicate but cannot use their hands or arms, bathe, move independently, or dress themselves.
Many healthcare professionals focus their time on providing healthcare for specific groups of patients. This would include pregnant women, children, senior citizens, people recovering from a medical procedure, or those recovering from a traumatic event. A patient may need specialized care to care for the needs of a physically impaired individual. A doctor might provide specific health care services for children who suffer from cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, developmental disabilities or a disease that affects their cognitive abilities.
Health care encompasses all aspects of health and is defined by each state's laws and regulations regarding the delivery and distribution of healthcare. It covers the delivery of healthcare by medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses, by licensed health care facilities such as rehabilitation centers, and by the state or the county that the facility is located.
