Use of Healthcare vs. Health Care in Your Mammography Lay Letters of Test Results

The Mammologix Support Team manages a library with more than 1000 different templates of lay letters used to communicate test results to mammography examinees. It isn't too much of a surprise that from time to time we encounter questions about certain wording or phrases.

The English language can offer up some rather strange variations in how the words we use to express ourselves are structured in its written form. One of them is about the proper use of healthcare vs. health care. 

Turns out  “Health care” is in the top 20% most searched words on Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. But when is appropriate to use the single word compared to its two-word version? And, is it ever necessary to use a hyphen with this wording?

So, is there an easy way to clear up the confusion?

We believe so. Mammologix follows the guidance that allows for both healthcare and health care based on how it is being used in a sentence structure.

When using this wording as a noun and describing a set of actions by a person or persons to maintain or improve the health of an individual then, the two-word version is most appropriate.  Here are a few examples;

• Regular breast exams, physician visits, and annual mammography are all preventative steps in health care you can take to improve your breast health.
• A breast MRI exam should be considered as part your health care given your high-risk assessment for breast cancer, findings of having dense breasts and a family history of breast cancer.

Healthcare in its one-word version is suitable when used as a noun or adjective describing the delivery of health care as a system, industry, or field that facilitates its delivery to individuals. Examples include;

• Your mammography images will remain on file at our healthcare facility for at least ten years.
• If have any questions or changes in your breast health be sure to check with your healthcare provider and do not wait for your next annual mammogram.

To learn more about this topic, we suggest this blog post by Arcadia's Implementation Manager, Victor Galli. His passionate and thorough research into this topic offers additional insight into guidance the Mammologix Support Team has adopted about this subject in trying better serve our clients.