Figure 1. Conceptual model for healthcare and mortality.

A proportion of the healthy or morbid population will die each year. This may be predicted by relevant population characteristics; however, appropriate health care may alter this predictive effect, either directly on the progression from 1 or more of these diseases to death or indirectly by affecting a “modifiable” population factor (e.g. detecting and treating blood pressure, detecting obesity, delivering smoking cessation or weight reduction care). In addition to primary healthcare, other factors may affect the progression to mortality, including secondary healthcare and non-healthcare led interventions, such as in education, employment and housing.