Motherhood and apple pie: the effectiveness of medical care for children.

The impact upon health of changes in public policy regarding health services has not been systematically assessed. The long-term, and largely irreversible, effects of reduced support for health services to children present special challenges to collaborative research between clinical and public health approaches. Preliminary evidence from such a collaborative study of a variety of illnesses and interventions is persuasive of real benefit from prompt access to medical care.