We go to hospitals for the treatment of our medical problems. All the facilities regarding our medical issues are sorted over there. But, with the growing complexity of our healthcare system, patients have numerous choices to receive care from healthcare providers.
Our hospitals are characterized on many bases. You may think, what makes one hospital different from another? In today’s article, we shall check the answer to this question and talk about different types and divisions of hospitals.
How are Hospitals Classified?
Hospitals are divided into different types due to the following characteristics:
- Size
- Functionality
- Location
- Ownership
- Specialization
Let us discuss these by one.
1- Size
Hospitals are generally Classified into three different categories when it comes to size:
- Small Hospital: Having fewer than 100 beds.
- Medium Hospital: Having 100 to 499 beds.
- Large Hospital: Having 500 or more beds.
These decisions are based upon the number of beds in the hospital. However, some variations could be possible in this division.
2- Functionality
Functionality refers to the general purpose of the hospital, whether it is a teaching hospital, community hospital, has acute care facilities, or does or doesn’t provide trauma facilities to the patients. It generally refers to the function of the hospital.
3- Location
There may also be the characterization of hospitals based on the location of those hospitals. For instance, we have rural hospitals with smaller facilities and limited advanced equipment, and urban hospitals generally have all the facilities required for quality treatment and checkups.
4- Ownership
Knowing who owns the hospital may also provide you with the information of the treatment supplied there. Some hospitals are owned by more extensive networks having vast resources available for flawless treatment.
5- Specialization
Specialization refers to the availability of specialist doctors in hospitals. Some hospitals may have no specialists available, which could disturb the checkup procedure. They may have a general physician available.
Different Types of Hospitals
Now, you have a basic idea about the classification of hospitals. Let us discuss some common types of hospitals.
Academic Medical Centers
These often serve as medical schools and universities. These have the facilities which the students commonly require to study medicine and surgery. In addition to study, these centers often serve a variety of services to their patients.
Acute Hospitals
These medical hospitals often serve to solely provide treatment and care to their patients who are usually susceptible to short-term medical conditions such as:
- Disease
- Illness
- Surgeries
- Injuries
- Obstetric care
- Postnatal care
- Surgery recoveries
They usually have equipment available for the treatment of short-term problems. Most people are treated in these kinds of hospitals; therefore, most hospitals are generally acute hospitals.
Children’s Hospital
Children’s hospitals often have the capability of treating problems and diseases of children. These hospitals are specialty hospitals, which means that the staff there also have specialized in providing complete services to specific conditions. Very acute and long-term diseases of children are treated there.
Clinics
Clinics are often much smaller than a hospital and treat solely outdoor patients. They are not equipped with the facilities to keep the overnight stay of their patient. These are usually owned privately by physicians. Some government agencies may also run these clinics.
General Services Hospital
These types of hospitals provide necessary services such as:
- Gynae and Obstetric services.
- General medicine care.
- Paediatric
They often lack instruments to provide services for long-term disease.
Private Hospitals
Some private hospitals are significant, but some are medium hospitals. Investors and owners own these. They are usually built up to invest one’s money and provide services to the patients. Private hospitals typically have the equipment for better treatment. They have better doctor-to-patient relations.
Rehabilitation Centers
These are different from hospitals and help provide rehabilitation services to their patients suffering from illness and injuries. Generally, they have a Physiotherapist there. They focus exclusively on inpatient services.
Government Funded Hospitals
Governments often fund hospitals from their country’s tax to provide the locals and poor with quality health services. These usually have physicians and some specialists. Veterans hospitals are probably the most famous of these kinds of hospitals.
Conclusion
Hospitals are necessary for us to avoid complications. It is good to keep knowledge of this information to stay up to date and avoid any confusion. For more informative articles, visit MARHAM.PK.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1- Is there any specific hospital for psychiatric health?
There are various psychiatric hospitals in which specialist psychiatrists provide their services. Large hospitals often have separate psychiatric wards in them.
2- How does the Outdoor Patient Department (OPD) provide its services?
The outdoor patient department is a crucial wing of a hospital that provides services to the outpatients. These often serve their role as the first point of contact between doctor and patient.
3- What is the primary role of hospitals?
Hospitals provide treatment to their patients. In addition, these also offer education to their healthcare provider working there to keep a society healthy.
4- Do hospitals help with the economy?
Hospitals purchase goods from business people, keeping equilibrium in the economy. These provide jobs and business opportunities to the locals as well as investors.
