Access to health care may vary across countries, communities, and individuals, influenced by social and economic conditions also as health policies. Providing health care services means "the timely use of private health services to realize the simplest possible health outcomes". Factors to think about in terms of healthcare access include financial limitations (such as insurance coverage), geographic barriers (such as additional transportation costs, possibility to require paid day off of labor to use such services), and private limitations (lack of ability to communicate with healthcare providers, poor health literacy, low income). Limitations to health care services affect negatively the utilization of medical services, the efficacy of treatments, and overall outcome (well-being, mortality rates). Many types of health care interventions are delivered outside of health facilities. They include many interventions of public health interest, like food safety surveillance, distribution of condoms, and needle-exchange programs for the prevention of transmissible diseases.

They also include the services of execs in residential and community settings in support of self-care, home care, long-term care, assisted living, treatment for substance use disorders among other types of health and social care services.