This chapter examines and analyzes in depth the elements of a health-care unit, with particular focus on the most important type of health-care unit—namely, a hospital—with the emphasis on its environment. Taking into consideration that, according to the system theory, all typical organizations (and hence a health-care unit/hospital) are systems, we may support the view that a health-care unit/hospital is set apart by a number of elements (humans, buildings, machines, etc.), each of which has its own function. All these elements interact, cooperate, and harmonize in order to achieve the organization’s aims. Based on the above, a hospital, which is the most important health-care unit in any health-care system, influences and is influenced by the health-care system itself. For this reason, a special reference and emphasis is given to hospitals. The hospital environment (and that of health-care units in general) influences to a great extent all the levels of functioning of a health-care unit/hospital. In particular, in this chapter:
Analyzes and defines the term “environment”
Analyzes and examines in depth the meaning, the aims, and the functioning of the most important health-care unit in the health-care system, namely, the hospital
Examines and analyzes the internal environment of a health-care unit/hospital
Presents, examines, and analyzes thoroughly the most important part of a health-care unit/hospital, namely, the organizational culture
Presents and analyzes the external environment of a health-care unit/hospital