Hospital

St. Lukes Hospital, Tokyo

A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized medical and nursing staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergency department to treat urgent health problems ranging from fire and accident victims to a sudden illness. A district hospital typically is the major health care facility in its region, with many beds for intensive care and additional beds for patients who need long-term care.

History[edit | edit source]

The history of hospitals has stretched over 2500 years, starting with precursors in the Ancient Egyptian era, and ancient Greek temples of Asclepius, which were dedicated to the god of medicine and served as healing places. The modern hospital, as an institution for the care of sick and injured people, is largely a product of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Departments and Services[edit | edit source]

Modern hospitals are equipped with many specialized departments such as surgery, cardiology, emergency, and obstetrics and gynecology, and they provide a wide range of services including diagnostic tests, treatments, and preventive medicine.

Emergency Services[edit | edit source]

This department typically treats patients who require immediate care. It is equipped to handle medical emergencies and has the necessary personnel and equipment to perform lifesaving procedures.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU)[edit | edit source]

The ICU is a specialized department designed to treat critically ill patients. These units are staffed by highly trained physicians and nurses who specialize in caring for critically ill patients.

Surgery[edit | edit source]

This is where surgical procedures are performed. It is equipped with surgical tools and equipment and is staffed by surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Diagnostic Services[edit | edit source]

Hospitals offer a range of diagnostic tests such as blood tests, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans. These tests help doctors diagnose diseases and plan treatments.

Staff[edit | edit source]

A hospital staff includes a range of health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, medical technologists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and dietitians. They work collaboratively to provide patient care.

Role in Healthcare[edit | edit source]

Hospitals play a crucial role in healthcare, providing the specialized environment for patient care and serving as central points for coordination and integration of health services. They are often involved in health promotion, education, and research.

Challenges[edit | edit source]

Hospitals face a variety of challenges such as controlling costs, maintaining high-quality care, and dealing with an aging population. They are also required to adhere to strict regulatory and compliance guidelines.

v t e Health care
Economics Equipment Guidelines Industry Philosophy Policy Providers Ranking Reform System
Professions	Medicine Nursing Pharmacy Healthcare science Dentistry Allied health professions Health information management
Settings	Assisted living Clinic Hospital Nursing home Medical school (Academic health science centre, Teaching hospital) Pharmacy school
Care	Acute Chronic End-of-life Hospice Overutilization Palliative Primary Self Total
Skills / Training	Bedside manner Cultural competence Diagnosis Education Universal precautions
By country	United States reform debate in the United States United Kingdom Canada Australia New Zealand (Category Health care by country)
Category

v t e Public infrastructure
Assets and facilities	Airports Bridges Broadband Canals Critical infrastructure Dams Electricity generation Energy development Hazardous waste Hospitals Levees Lighthouses Municipal solid waste Parks Ports Public housing Public spaces Public transport Public utilities Public works Rail transport Roads Sewage State schools Telecommunications Town square Wastewater treatment Water supply network Wind power
Concepts	Appropriation Infrastructure asset management Build–operate–transfer Design–build Earmark Engineering contracts Externality Fixed cost Government debt Infrastructure bond Life-cycle assessment Lindahl tax Maintenance, repair, and operations Natural monopoly Property tax Public capital Public finance Public good Public sector Public–private partnership Renovation Spillover Supply chain Taxation Upgrade
Issues and ideas	Air traffic control Brownfield land Bus rapid transit Carbon footprint Congestion pricing Containerization Ethanol fuel Fuel efficiency Fuel tax Groundwater High-speed rail Hybrid vehicles Land-use planning Mobile data terminal Pork barrel Recycling Renewable resources Reverse osmosis Smart grid Smart growth Stormwater Sustainable urban infrastructure Traffic congestion Transit-oriented development Urban sprawl Waste-to-energy Weatherization Wireless
Fields of study	Architecture Civil engineering Electrical engineering Mechanical engineering Public economics Public policy Urban planning
Examples	Akashi Kaikyō Bridge Autobahn Brooklyn Bridge Bus rapid transit systems Channel Tunnel Controlled-access highway systems Electric power transmission High-speed trains Hong Kong International Airport Hoover Dam Humber Bridge Kansai International Airport Millau Viaduct Nuclear power Offshore wind farms Panama Canal Port of Shanghai San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge Suez Canal Solar power Three Gorges Dam Trans-Alaska pipeline Transcontinental railroads