2. the hospital, a nodal element in the health care system

This diagram maps the principal interactions between key nodes of the Australian health care system. The following walks you through the diagram.

We, ourselves and our environment, interact to define our health and symptomology. In response, we seek advice from a GP (General Practitioner) within our local community, or from an EP (Emergency Physician) within a nearby hospitaL

The GP or EP may prescribe a treatment regimen, or refer us to a SP ( Specialist medical Practitioner') working in independent practice or within a hospital. The Specialist, may also refer us to another specialist and or prescribe a treatment regimen which may be delivered in or out of hospital.

Following hospital treatment, we may be discharged home or transferred to a Rehabilitation or other restorative therapy service, RS. At some point we may be assessed by a dedicated team, as needing continuing care in our own home, (HC) or residential care facility (RC).

The flows between the 'nodes' of : Self and GP, GP and SP, SP and H, Self and H, H and RS, H and RC and HC, are of special interest in hospital infrastructure planning. So also, is the supply, organisation and performance of the service-infrastructure resources within each 'node'.

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