title: [The health services epidemiology in health agency: the initiatives, the activities, the structures. Introduction to the subject].
abstract: The subject which has been developed within the Workshop "the health services Epidemiology in health Agency: the initiatives, the activities, the structures. Direct and indirect evidences", held in Rome, in November 15th, 2001, is introduced and updated. After a historical excursus, the topical interest in the health services epidemiology, which has now assumed the aspect of a real, independent discipline, and the reasons for its development, are analysed. As an independent discipline, its typical methodology and function have to be recognised. The methodology is characterised by the wide use of qualitative methods, by the importance assigned to the secondary epidemiologic research (i.e. systematic reviews and meta-analysis) and by the particular interest devoted to evaluation rather than investigative surveys. The function is aimed at improving people's health by means of health care services and, as a practical consequence, useful to the former one, at improving the quality of health care services themselves.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Università di Roma Tor Vergata.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muzzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panà
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research