Journal profile · Health Care Sciences & Services
Health Services Research
ISSN 0017-9124 · eISSN 1475-6773 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 1966
Health Services Research: CAS Zone 2 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.94; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,750; median 171 days to acceptance (57 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 328 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Health Services Research is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 2 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Healthcare Policy and Management, Primary Care and Health Outcomes and Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes, together about 45.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are General Health Professions. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
HSR is interested in studies that appropriately apply the full range of research methods from quantitative to qualitative and from primary data analyses to systematic reviews of the literature.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Health Care Sciences & Services
Editor-in-chief Austin B. FraktPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Healthcare Policy and ManagementEconomics, Econometrics and Finance21.9%
- Primary Care and Health OutcomesHealth Professions15.8%
- Geriatric Care and Nursing HomesHealth Professions7.4%
- Patient Satisfaction in HealthcareHealth Professions5.3%
- Food Security and Health in Diverse PopulationsHealth Professions4.3%
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of LifeEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.3%
- Chronic Disease Management StrategiesMedicine4%
- Medication Adherence and ComplianceMedicine2.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Health Policy & Services | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Health Care Sciences & Services | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Health Care Sciences & Services | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Health Policy & Services | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Health Policy & Services | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Health Care Sciences & Services | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedEmbasePsycINFOCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.94LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.76LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.48LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109LetPub ·
- h-index
- 167OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,407OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.94OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 44.77%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 159LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 176Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 600,225Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,464 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 94 | 86 | 16 |
| 2025 | 328 | 311 | 306 |
| 2024 | 165 | 155 | 819 |
| 2023 | 153 | 143 | 1,332 |
| 2022 | 216 | 206 | 3,161 |
| 2021 | 319 | 308 | 3,581 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
171 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 122 days – 221 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 16 days (57 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 188 days
- Sample
- 57 articles with submission and acceptance dates (453 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 13%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 13%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 158 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 21 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,750 / EUR 3,140 / GBP 2,480 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Article types accepted11
- commentariesCommentaries are by invitation only. They are evidence-based papers of up to 2500 words, at the editors' discretion.Length not stated
- commentaryHSR publishes the following types of papers in its regular issues. Research Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These pa…Length not stated
- full articleHSR publishes the following types of papers in its regular issues. Research Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These pa…Length not stated
- methods articleHSR publishes the following types of papers in its regular issues. Research Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These pa…Length not stated
- methods articlesMethods Articles and Methods Briefs use the same format as Research Articles and Briefs but focus on the development of new methods and tools, application of cu…Length not stated
- methods briefsMethods Articles and Methods Briefs use the same format as Research Articles and Briefs but focus on the development of new methods and tools, application of cu…Length not stated
- perspectiveHSR publishes the following types of papers in its regular issues. Research Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These pa…Length not stated
- research articleHSR publishes the following types of papers in its regular issues. Research Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These pa…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These papers may apply quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.Length not stated
- research briefsResearch Briefs make incremental contributions to the literature such as validations or extensions of previous work, single-setting or single-year studies (with…Length not stated
- reviewHSR publishes the following types of papers in its regular issues. Research Articles focus on important questions involving health and health services. These pa…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Open access, Peer review, Preprints, Self-archiving
- AI use 3.2 Use of artificial intelligence tools
AI use must be disclosed in the cover letter. Model summary
Authors must use strict oversight if using generative AI tools such as chatGPT in studies or for manuscript preparation. Authors are responsible for study design and manuscript content and must be vigilant about known inaccuracies when using AI. Wiley has instructions about AI. Disclose AI use in your cover letter (Section 2.4.1).
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship 2.6 Authorship, conflicts of interest and disclosure
At submission, the corresponding author, on behalf of all authors, will attest to authorship as defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). All qualified authors should have the opportunity to participate in drafting, review, and final approval of the manuscript. At submission, the corresponding author will also disclose potential conflicts of interest (defined by th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest 2.6 Authorship, conflicts of interest and disclosure
Conflict of interest declared on submission form; formal COI forms not required. Model summary
At submission, the corresponding author, on behalf of all authors, will attest to authorship as defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). All qualified authors should have the opportunity to participate in drafting, review, and final approval of the manuscript. At submission, the corresponding author will also disclose potential conflicts of interest (defined by th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data sharing encouraged; authors select a data availability statement per Wiley's Data Sharing policy. Model summary
This journal encourages data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission and review the Data Citation policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access 6.1 Open Access
HSR is a subscription journal that offers an open access option. You may choose to publish under the terms of HSR's standard copyright agreement or to make your article open access under the terms of a Creative Commons (CC) License. A list of article publication charges for Wiley journals is available online. Check if your funders mandate use of a particular type of CC license. If so, Wiley has in…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Double-anonymized peer review; main manuscript must not identify authors. Model summary
As papers undergo double-anonymized peer review, the main manuscript file should not include any information that might identify the authors or anyone else providing assistance (e.g., collegial comments on prior versions), including in the file name.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints, posted dissertations, and conference abstracts are considered; authors must state differences from preprints. Model summary
We consider work that has been disseminated through preprints, posted dissertations, or conference abstracts. (See Wiley preprint policy and Section 6.2). Please state if the submitted manuscript differs from preprints or posted dissertations.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Self-archiving 6.2 Self-Archiving
HSR’s standard copyright agreement allows for self-archiving of different versions of the article under specific conditions, for example on the author's personal website, an institutional article or dissertation repository, or noncommercial preprint server such as arXiv, medRxiv, SocArXiv, Social Science Research Network (SSRN), or the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Authors should up…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1966
- ISSN
- 0017-9124
- Electronic ISSN
- 1475-6773
- Society / sponsor
- AcademyHealth
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 61, Issue 5 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Health Services Research
What CAS zone is Health Services Research in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Health Services Research is in Zone 2 of Medicine, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Health Policy & Services / Health Care Sciences & Services. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Health Services Research?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.94; CiteScore 5.9, h-index 167.
How long does peer review take at Health Services Research?
Based on the dates recorded on 57 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 171 days (interquartile range 122–221 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 13% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Which databases index Health Services Research?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Health Services Research is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Health Services Research open access, and what is the APC?
Health Services Research is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,750.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .