Health Science
Health science research (sometimes called health services research) is designed to determine what works and what it costs in the real world of health care. By generating knowledge that increases the efficiency of the health care system, health science research can improve the outcomes, quality, access to, and cost and utilization of health care services.
Health science research is designed to:
- Improve clinical practice
- Improve the health care system's ability to provide access to and delivery of high quality, high-value health care
- Provide policymakers with the ability to assess the impact of payment and organizational changes on outcomes, quality, access, cost, and use of health care services
Health science research is different than other clinical research because:
- Researchers are typically not able to control the environment (for example: payment systems, gate-keeper requirements) so randomized controlled trials (RCT) are infrequent
- Methods typically involve case-control and multiple-time series studies (observational studies)
- The typical purpose of clinical research is efficacy (what works in ideal settings). Effectiveness research (what works in real-world settings) helps to incorporate the clinical research into daily practice.
It is important to fund health science research to:
- Broaden the utility and implementation of clinical research findings
- Give practicing neurologists the opportunities to become involved in improving the delivery of health care through research.
