Is Health Care One Word?
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines health care as the provision of medical, surgical and other allied services designed to enhance physical or mental well-being. Health care business also encompasses insurance payments, bill payment and any other associated transactions related to the provision of these services.
No matter the spelling you select, consistency in writing is key to engaging readers and helping them retain information more easily. If you need assistance with medical writing, don’t hesitate to contact BIG Language for assistance – our experienced language service providers will ensure clear, concise, and consistent content creation.
If you reside in the US, when writing for American audiences it is generally preferable to use its original spelling of health care; most native speakers will understand your writing better when written this way. However, healthcare may be a more appropriate term depending on who your audience is or their familiarity with American culture.
OED also provides a list of synonyms for health care, which includes “health-care,” an increasingly popular compound term. Some organizations and companies have changed to using healthcare in place of health care in their name while some continue using original spelling. When writing or speaking about this topic, keep this in mind to ensure your audience comprehends your meaning.
Health and care are two essential aspects of everyday life, making up two essential pillars on which all society rests. Healthcare policies are an ongoing topic in many societies; so much so that their delivery has even become a staple topic of conversation; many people now use healthcare as a shorthand for systems, industries and fields of study – though whether healthcare should be one word or two may depend on who you speak to.
Health care and healthcare terms must be understood clearly for anyone working in the medical industry, be it nursing, medicine, healthcare or another sector. Our assistance can ensure you use the appropriate word to convey your meaning effectively – contact us now to see how we can assist! We look forward to speaking with you.