Hospitals have become complex institutions, involving more personnel and advanced instruments to treat patients. The latest innovations in medical research and technology have produced an ever-growing variety of treatments and instrumentation. All these changes demand specialized training and facilities, and the price of running a hospital has increased considerably. Increasingly, health service managers are concerned with cost and quality of care. They may also seek alternative ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of hospital care. To help meet these needs, hospitals should reorganize themselves.
Before discharge, patients should ask about their rights and how to get the best care possible. Whether the hospital is private or public, patients should understand their rights. Patients should have a representative designate by the hospital. It is important to discuss your medical condition and treatment options with the doctor and hospital representative. If you have any questions about discharge, you should talk to the hospital representative. A patient should have access to a written discharge notice and plan of care.
Patients should always make an effort to take care of themselves once they are discharged from the hospital. This way, they can avoid the possibility of needing further medical treatment. Usually, a discharged patient is not fully recovered. He may still need care for some health problems. However, he can self-care by getting enough rest and eating a balanced diet. If the discharge process is completed properly, it can help the patient avoid recurrent hospitalizations.
A hospital’s name derives from the meaning of the facility. It was originally meant to provide hospitality to the injured. The name Royal Hospital Chelsea, for example, was given in 1681 to help a retired veteran soldier. Today, the hospital has become one of the premier medical facilities in London. The British National Health Service provides state-funded health care to legal citizens “free of charge”.
During the Medieval era, the concept of hospital care evolved from a religious facility to a secular institution. The dissolution of monasteries in 1540 in England led to the endowment of hospitals by the crown. The earliest secular medical institutions in Europe was the Bedlam hospital in London. The Dominican Republic has some of the oldest hospitals in the Americas. It is also recognized by UNESCO as the oldest hospital in the world.
Early hospitals began as almshouses, and were generally very small and ineffective. However, they did begin to expand and become more successful as hospitals. In the early eighteenth century, an English Quaker named William Penn, a Philadelphia colonial leader, organized the first incorporated hospital in America. He obtained a charter for Pennsylvania Hospital in 1751. In the early 19th century, the idea of voluntary hospitals spread to the United States.
The FTC has recently taken action against vertical and horizontal integration of medical groups. New ideas such as bundled payments and value-based purchasing are also causing hospitals to undergo a review. The DOJ and the FTC have also created joint antitrust guidelines regarding the ACO Shared Savings Program. While the rules for ACOs are not clear, the impact on hospital cost containment and the quality of care resulting from these reforms remains unclear.