7 Health Care System

Learning objectives
On completion of this chapter, the learner will be able to do the following:
Define and classify health care system
List the classifications of hospitals
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Explain the physical plan of a hospital
Enumerate the major departments of a hospital
Discuss the organizational setup of a hospital

The health care system is comprised of
institutions, agencies, policies, payment plans,
providers, clients, families and caregivers. Health
care is provided within many different types of
facilities to meet the needs of the people.
Scope of health care services
Four types of services have evolved as a means
the words "hostel" "hotel" all originally derived
from Latin. The three words hospitals, hostel and
hotel although derived from the same source are
used with different meanings. The term hospital
means an establishment for temporary occupancy
by the sick and injured. Today, hospital means an
institution in which sick or injured persons are
cared for.

to provide comprehensive health care. In olden days, hospitals were guest houses for
the shelter of the homeless and for the treatment
1. Health promotion and illness prevention
of travellers. In modern times, the chief function
2. Diagnosis and treatment
of the hospital is to provide care and treatment
3. Rehabilitation
to the sick.
4. Supportive care
Definitions
These components produce a system to provide
health care services for the individual, family, Hospital is an institution suitably located,
aggregates and communities. constructed, organized, staffed to supply
Health care setting scientifically, economically, efficiently and
unhindered all or any recognized part of the
Health care delivery occurs within a continuum complex requirements for the prevention,
of health care setting and services from outpatient diagnosis and treatment of physical, mental and
to inpatient and from acute care to long-term medical aspects of social ills with functioning
care settings. facilities for training new workers in many special
professions, technical and economical fields,
Hospitals
essential to the discharge of its proper function

A hospital is an institution for the medical and and with adequate contacts with physicians,

nursing care of ill and injured person needing other hospital, medical schools, and all accredited

complex services with a high risk of complications.
Hospitals are organized institutions for the care
of the sick and injured.
The word hospital is derived from the latin
word "hospitalis" which comes from "hospes"
meaning a "host". The English word "hospital"
comes from the French word "hospitale" as do
health agencies, engaged in the better health
programmes (Dorlands Medical Dictionary).
Hospital is an integral part of a social and
medical organization, the function of which is to
provide for the population, the complete health
care, both curative and preventive and whose
outpatient services reach out to the family and its

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