Health Services Research

Health services research examines how people get access to health care, how much care costs, and what happens to patients as a result of this care. The main goals of health services research are to identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high quality care.

Health services research explores how social factors, financing systems and costs, organizational structures and processes, policies, technology, and personal behaviors affect access to treatment, the quality and cost of care, and quantity and quality of life.

At SAMHSA, the aim is to perform health services research relevant to substance abuse and mental health that can be applied by providers, policy makers, and programs to make decisions about behavioral health prevention and treatment.

The Analysis and Services Research Branch (ASRB) in the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers with backgrounds in epidemiology, psychology, social work, health economics, statistics and clinical trials. The branch produces peer-reviewed journal articles, CBHSQ Short Reports and Spotlights, presentations at scientific meetings, scientific literature reviews, research blog articles, and other publications. The branch works with colleagues and stakeholders within SAMHSA, across the US Department of Health and Human Services, and in academia.

For more information, contact cbhsqrequest@samhsa.hhs.gov