Introduction
Health services research is an important issue in the current healthcare environment. The high prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing medical costs, and high demand for acceptable health care present an urgent need for reshaping the health care systems across the world. These factors have a significant influence on population health. This paper looks at literature reviews with an aim of evaluating the impact of health services research on the population health.
Background information
In the last twenty years, there has been an increase in recognition of Evidence-Based Practices (EBP). They have been regarded as golden standards for the provision of quality health care. The health services research has been at the center of EBP for the optimizing the health care outcomes. Moreover, it still has the potential of reducing the cost of health care, identifying effective and efficient health care option, as well as ensuring proper management of health organizations.
According to Horner, Russ-Seller, and Youkey (2013), health services research ranges from identification of effective and efficient approaches to improving patient health care outcomes. It deals with the organization, management, financing, and the delivery of health care services. In addition, it involves identifying new therapeutic regimens and practices that have an impact on the population health. The authors hold that the health services research has contributed positively to the changes in the modern health care environment. They also recognize that the research has not achieved its full potential. For instance, clinically driven research can still be used to address the changing health care concerns of the patient population health. In addition, expansion of research methodologies to match the patients’ needs affects the overall population health. Lastly, a respectful investigation, in which all health care practitioners and enterprises are involved, has the potential of influencing the average patient population health (Horner, Russ-Seller & Youkey, 2013)
Burock, Meunier, and Lacombe (2013) also argue that the health services research has the potential of bridging the gaps in the current health care environment. This is anchored on the constantly rising health care costs and the immense reforms in the health care systems across the globe. the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart complications, and diabetes. Burock, Meunier and Lacombe (2013), explain the current research landscape need to embrace innovative options and advances in technology for it to impact the population health.
Literature review
Over the last decades, the health services research has played an important role in improving health of many communities across the world. It has been paramount in carrying out experiments for identifying new therapies and practices for the delivery of effective and efficient health services for the patient population. A number of research scholars have published experimental findings that are critical in providing quality health care for diverse populations. Four articles are reviewed to investigate the impact of health services research on population health.
Olafiranye, Jean-Louis, Zizi, Nunes, and Vincent (2011) argue that increasing recognition of EBH promises to find a permanent solution to Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD). The authors articulate that evidence shows that anxiety, among the CVD patients impedes recovery of patients after treatment. This research article evaluates evidence from a number of medical researches to draw the link between CDV symptoms and anxiety. They draw evidence from CHD, CHF, and psychosocial studies to indicate that anxiety is one of the psychosocial factors that increase the prevalence of chronic heart diseases. They suggest that there is a need for a more evidence-based clinical research to identify the relationship between anxiety and CVD. This would guarantee a disease-free global population. In addition, clinical trials need to include the evaluation of psychosocial factors to enable the identification of interventions that reduce anxiety. It should also include the diverse effects of CDV incidents.
The identification of cost-effective health care services is one of the primary concerns of the health services research. Ohlhorst et al., (2013) articulate that proper nutrition is one way of achieving effective and less costly health care. The authors argue that nutrition research is vital in increasing the understanding of proper nutrition for the reduction of obesity, which has become a common phenomenon in the U.S. The arguments by Ohlhorst et al., (2013) are emphasized by Lewis (2013), who closely evaluates the effects of over-nutrition on human health. He observes that excessive consumption of high food calories limits hormonal action, resulting in devastating metabolic abnormalities. In the end, the devastating metabolic abnormalities cause chronic disease such diabetes, liver diseases, and cancer.
Ohlhorst et al., (2013) hold that the above nutritional issues can be addressed in many ways. These include medical management, diet and food, food environment, nutritional behavior, healthy growth, and health maintenance. This would lead to the adoption of new prevention interventions that would impact the health and well-being of the global population. Ohlhorst et al. (2013) observe that health services research is the only way that can be used to achieve these changes.
Willis and Villena (2011) approach the health services research by highlighting its importance in mental health primary interventions. The two authors note that the majority of the mental patients in the U.S. receive primary health care services, instead of mental specialty health care. They attributed this to the disparities that exist in the health care sector. They noted that mental health care needs remain racially and ethnically biased. Significant barriers impede access to public health care services. Willis and Villena (2011) hold that the health services research is capable of ensuring quality, access, and recovery-oriented health care. Specifically, nursing research has the potential of redesigning primary mental health interventions. Secondly, it is capable of evaluating the rapidly changing nursing roles. These two contributions are critical in the management of mental health of patients in a community-based setting (Willis & Villena, 2011).
Scholarship for nursing roles
Scholarship for nursing roles refers to the systematic activities that promote the teaching, research, and nursing practice. These activities are rigorous, creative, and professionally written. In addition, these scholarly nursing activities are documented, peer-reviewed, and can be replicated. The review of literature is an important part of the advanced nursing practice for a number of reasons. First, it encourages the scholarship of discovery, in which nurses are able to generate nursing and professional knowledge. It also supports teaching, by supporting the transfer of knowledge from the nursing experts to the novice. At the same time, literature review encourages holistic multidisciplinary integration in the health care sector. Lastly, literature review supports a culture of scholarship application for advanced clinical and nursing practices (Peterson & Stevens, 2013).
Conclusion
Health services are important issues in the current health care environment. They are critical in ensuring effective and efficient provision of public health care. In addition, they help in identifying therapies that influence the population health and well-being. Over the years, the health services research has improved the delivery of health care services in the world. This has greatly influenced population health in a number of ways. In conclusion, many studies indicate that the health services research still has enormous potential of influencing population health and well-being.
References
Burock, S., Meunier, F., & Lacombe, D. (2013). How can innovative forms of clinical research contribute to deliver affordable cancer care in an evolving health care environment? European Journal of Cancer, 49, 2777– 2783.
Horner, R. D., Russ-Sellers, R., & Youkey, J. R. (2013). Rethinking Health Services Research. Medical care, 51(12), 1031-1033.
Lewis, G. F. (2013). Devastating Metabolic Consequences of a Life of Plenty: Focus on the Dyslipidemia of Overnutrition. Clinical & Investigative Medicine, 36(5), E242-E247.
Ohlhorst, S. D., Russell, R., Bier, D., Klurfeld, D. M., Zhaoping, L., Mein, J. R., &… Konopka, E. (2013). Nutrition research to affect food and a healthy life span. Journal of Nutrition, 143(8), 1349-1354. Web.
Olafiranye, O., Jean-Louis, G., Zizi, F., Nunes, J., & Vincent, M. T. (2011). Anxiety and cardiovascular risk: review of epidemiological and clinical evidence. Mind & brain: the journal of psychiatry, 2(1), 32.
Peterson, K., & Stevens, J. (2013). Integrating the scholarship of practice into the nurse academician portfolio. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 3(11), 84-92.
Wills, C., & Villena A. L. D. (2011). Mental health in public sector primary care. Nursing research, 1. Web.