Journal profile
Research in Health Services Regions
ISSN 2730-9827 · Springer · Switzerland
FollowGet an email when its zone, impact factor or warning status changes
Research in Health Services Regions: fully open access; APC about USD 2,090; median 186 days to acceptance (41 articles, last 24 months); 23 articles in 2025.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Research in Health Services Regions is published by Springer. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Healthcare Policy and Management, Healthcare Systems and Practices and Healthcare Quality and Management, together about 33.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are General Health Professions. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
"Research in Health Services and Regions" is an e-only open access journal publishing high-quality scientific original articles, reviews and brief communications. The journal provides a forum for scientists focusing on health services research - in and for regions. Regional comparisons, whether on a small scale or based on larger areas, are becoming more and more important for health policy decisions that cover a broad spectrum of aspects ranging from benchmarking to locally adapted interventions to the identification of unfavourable variation in health care delivery. Regional aspects are also fundamental when validating the implementation of medical care guidelines. Regional variations and demographic shifts influence access to health care, patient behaviour, and the range of available health care services. Publications in "Research in Health Services and Regions" address methods of and databases for regionally based health services research as well as epidemiological and clinical health care variation, and the planning, implementation, validation and comparison of projects adapted in regions according to special needs. All submissions are subject to single-blind peer review. The journal aims to offer international scientists a platform to exchange research and ideas in the field of regionalised health services research. Ideally, the journal will facilitate learning on a global scale that translates into concrete action on a regional scale, and will provide global learning experiences for regional health policy or local actions. The journal is initiated and partially funded by the Central Research Institute for Ambulatory Health Care in the Federal Republic of Germany (Zentralinstitut für die kassenärztliche Versorgung in Deutschland, Zi). This research institution is a tax-exempt not-for-profit foundation under civil law, established in 1973 by the 17 regional associations of statutory health insurance physicians and the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Germany. Zi is financed predominantly by the 17 regional associations and is based in Berlin, Germany.For authors that have no Open Access funding, the Zi may cover the OA publishing costs. To apply for this sponsorship, please contact the institute (Camila Gonzatto da Silva, cgonzattodasilva@zi.de). A final decision on funding will be made after acceptance of the article.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Editor-in-chief Stef GroenewoudPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Germany 6, Italy 2, Netherlands 2, United States 1, South Korea 1 (16 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Healthcare Policy and ManagementEconomics, Econometrics and Finance17.6%
- Healthcare Systems and PracticesHealth Professions8.5%
- Healthcare Quality and ManagementHealth Professions7.5%
- Healthcare cost, quality, practicesHealth Professions6.9%
- Palliative Care and End-of-Life IssuesMedicine5.3%
- Palliative and Oncologic CareMedicine5.3%
- Primary Care and Health OutcomesHealth Professions4.8%
- Global Maternal and Child HealthMedicine4.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
DOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PMCPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- h-index
- 9OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 9OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.06OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 67,300Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 98 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 | 17 | 136 |
| 2025 | 23 | 23 | 115 |
| 2024 | 22 | 22 | 57 |
| 2023 | 21 | 21 | 17 |
| 2022 | 15 | 15 | 4 |
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
186 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 122 days – 247 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 19 days (41 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 201 days
- Sample
- 41 articles with submission and acceptance dates (46 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)
- about 38 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 26 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 38 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | EUR 1,790 / USD 2,090 / GBP 1,590 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,990 / EUR 1,690 / GBP 1,490 | — | — | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers3, by deadline
- Regional Variation in Resource Shortages in Healthcare ProvisionDeadline
- Regional Variation and Equity Challenges in Nordic Health Care Systems – Reforms, Access and OutcomesDeadline
- Designing the Future through Understanding Past and Present: Emerging Researchers on Regional Variation in Health Care – IIIDeadline
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
Article types accepted1
- editorialSingle-blind peer review This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review proce…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Articles in Springer Nature open access journals do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Research in Health Services & Regions, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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.
Before you submit
Five checks before submitting to Research in Health Services Regions
- 1ScopeRecent output centres on Healthcare Policy and Management, Healthcare Systems and Practices.Check scope
- 2Article type and formatAbstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation.Author guidelines ↗
- 3English languagePolish grammar and academic style before you submit: it lowers the risk of rejection for language and improves your chances of acceptance.
- 4FeesEUR 1,790 (DOAJ), waivers availableFee details
- 5Expected review time186 days · Median, submission to acceptance · 41 articles, last 24 months · CrossrefReview data
The checks are built from this page's data.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer
- Country or region
- Switzerland
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2730-9827
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Research in Health Services Regions
How long does peer review take at Research in Health Services Regions?
Based on the dates recorded on 41 articles published between November 2024 and November 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 186 days (interquartile range 122–247 days); authors report an average review time of about 38 weeks. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Research in Health Services Regions?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Research in Health Services Regions based?
Of the 16 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (6), Italy (2) and Netherlands (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Research in Health Services Regions?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Research in Health Services Regions is indexed in DOAJ. The journal's website also lists PMC; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Research in Health Services Regions open access, and what is the APC?
Research in Health Services Regions is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 2,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; 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 2026-08-24). Last updated: .