Health Care in the U.S. Chapter 8 Exam Questions and Answers
with Verified Solutions | Latest 2026 Update
Q: inpatient
Answer:
refers to overnight stay in health care facility
Q: voluntary hospital
Answer:
nonprofit community hospital financed through local philanthropy instead of taxes
Q: discharge
Answer:
total number of patients discharged from hospital's acute care beds in a given
period (deaths also counted)
Q: inpatient day
Answer:
night spent in a hospital
Q: days of care
Answer:
cumulative number of inpatient days over a certain period
Q: average length of stay (ALOS)
Answer:
calculated by dividing total days of care by total number of discharges; provides
measure of how long average patient will stay in hospital (indicator of severity of
illness and resource use)
Q: average daily census
Answer:
average number of inpatients receiving care each day
Q: occupancy rate
, Answer:
derived by dividing average daily census for given period by average number of
beds; indicates proportion of hospital's capacity utilized
Q: public hospital
Answer:
hospital owned by agencies of federal, state, or local governments
Q: proprietary hospitals (investor-owned hospitals)
Answer:
hospitals owned by individuals, partnerships, or corporations; operated for
financial benefit of stockholders
Q: community hospital
Answer:
most common type in U.S.; nonfederal, short-stay hospital whose services are
available to general public
Q: multihospital system
Answer:
two or more hospitals are owned, leased, sponsored, or contractually managed by
central organization
Q: general hospital
Answer:
hospital that provides variety of services to meet almost all medical needs of
community it serves
Q: specialty hospital
Answer:
hospital that primarily engages in providing diagnostic and medical treatment to
inpatients with a specific type of disease or medical condition (NOT mental
illness/substance abuse though)
Q: rehabilitation hospital
with Verified Solutions | Latest 2026 Update
Q: inpatient
Answer:
refers to overnight stay in health care facility
Q: voluntary hospital
Answer:
nonprofit community hospital financed through local philanthropy instead of taxes
Q: discharge
Answer:
total number of patients discharged from hospital's acute care beds in a given
period (deaths also counted)
Q: inpatient day
Answer:
night spent in a hospital
Q: days of care
Answer:
cumulative number of inpatient days over a certain period
Q: average length of stay (ALOS)
Answer:
calculated by dividing total days of care by total number of discharges; provides
measure of how long average patient will stay in hospital (indicator of severity of
illness and resource use)
Q: average daily census
Answer:
average number of inpatients receiving care each day
Q: occupancy rate
, Answer:
derived by dividing average daily census for given period by average number of
beds; indicates proportion of hospital's capacity utilized
Q: public hospital
Answer:
hospital owned by agencies of federal, state, or local governments
Q: proprietary hospitals (investor-owned hospitals)
Answer:
hospitals owned by individuals, partnerships, or corporations; operated for
financial benefit of stockholders
Q: community hospital
Answer:
most common type in U.S.; nonfederal, short-stay hospital whose services are
available to general public
Q: multihospital system
Answer:
two or more hospitals are owned, leased, sponsored, or contractually managed by
central organization
Q: general hospital
Answer:
hospital that provides variety of services to meet almost all medical needs of
community it serves
Q: specialty hospital
Answer:
hospital that primarily engages in providing diagnostic and medical treatment to
inpatients with a specific type of disease or medical condition (NOT mental
illness/substance abuse though)
Q: rehabilitation hospital
