In health service planning, demand is best described as:

• A. The rate at which new facilities are built
• B. The amount of funding allocated for programs
• C. The number of people who need care and are actively seeking it
• D. The availability of medical supplies

Answer: (C)

In health service planning, demand means the level of need for services as expressed by people who actually seek care. It reflects not only how many people have a health issue but also how many are actively pursuing help, which drives how much service capacity is needed. This focus on those who need care and are seeking it distinguishes demand from the other concepts: supply describes what resources and facilities are available to deliver care, funding relates to the budget allocated for programs, and the availability of medical supplies is about inputs. Since planning aims to match the care that people are actively pursuing with the capacity to provide it, the description of demand as the number of people who need care and are actively seeking it best captures the concept.