Defining Health System Capacity: A Rapid Review

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Health systems are crucial for population health.
• Health system capacity, its ability to meet community needs, lacks a clear definition.
• Understanding this capacity is vital for effective health service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore conceptualizations of health system capacity in academic and grey literature.
• To identify key elements defining health system capacity.

Main Methods:

• A standardized rapid review methodology was employed.
• Duplicate screening and data extraction ensured rigor.
• Narrative synthesis summarized definitions and frameworks.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two relevant documents were identified.
• Only three documents offered a unique definition of health system capacity.
• Twenty documents provided frameworks, synthesized into 11 key elements.

Conclusions:

• Conceptualization of health system capacity is infrequent and inconsistent in published literature.
• This review provides a foundational understanding and synthesis of key elements.
• The identified elements can guide future research and policy on health system capacity.