DEFINITION

Health services research can be defined as a “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.” (Lohr & Steinwachs, 2002.) It is a broad research domain that may include secondary analysis of existing data (e.g., claims data or electronic health record data) but can also include comparative effectiveness studies, qualitative designs, etc.