Definition and classification of hospitals MCQs With Answer is an essential topic for B.Pharm students to understand healthcare infrastructure, hospital types, and their roles in patient care. This introduction covers the definition of a hospital, core functions, and major classification criteria such as level of care (primary, secondary, tertiary), ownership (public, private, charitable), specialty (general, multispecialty, super‑specialty, teaching), bed strength, and service scope (outpatient, inpatient, emergency, ICU). Grasping these concepts helps pharmacists collaborate with clinical teams, manage hospital pharmacy services, and support patient safety and regulatory compliance. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the most accurate definition of a hospital?
- An outpatient clinic offering only consultations
- A facility providing diagnosis, treatment, and continuous nursing care to inpatients
- A pharmacy that dispenses medicines to the public
- A community center for health education
Correct Answer: A facility providing diagnosis, treatment, and continuous nursing care to inpatients
Q2. Which classification criterion groups hospitals by the complexity of services offered (e.g., primary, secondary, tertiary)?
- Ownership classification
- Level of care classification
- Size-based classification
- Funding source classification
Correct Answer: Level of care classification
Q3. Which hospital is primarily focused on basic outpatient care and minor inpatient services in a local area?
- Tertiary care hospital
- Primary care or community hospital
- Super-specialty hospital
- Teaching hospital attached to a medical college
Correct Answer: Primary care or community hospital
Q4. What distinguishes a tertiary hospital from a secondary hospital?
- Tertiary hospitals only handle outpatient services
- Tertiary hospitals provide highly specialized care and advanced procedures
- Secondary hospitals are always private
- Secondary hospitals perform research but tertiary do not
Correct Answer: Tertiary hospitals provide highly specialized care and advanced procedures
Q5. Which of the following is a key feature of a teaching hospital?
- Focus solely on elective cosmetic procedures
- Affiliation with a medical/health sciences college and student training
- No inpatient facilities
- Operates only on a charitable donation model
Correct Answer: Affiliation with a medical/health sciences college and student training
Q6. How are hospitals classified by ownership?
- Public, private, charitable, and corporate
- Only by bed strength
- By the number of doctors present
- By the color of the building
Correct Answer: Public, private, charitable, and corporate
Q7. What defines a multispecialty hospital?
- Provides a single specialty service only
- Offers multiple clinical specialties under one roof
- Has no inpatient beds
- Serves only pediatric patients
Correct Answer: Offers multiple clinical specialties under one roof
Q8. Which hospital type focuses on one organ system or medical discipline (e.g., cardiology hospital)?
- General hospital
- Super-specialty or specialty hospital
- Primary health center
- Polyclinic
Correct Answer: Super-specialty or specialty hospital
Q9. What is a district hospital typically classified as in terms of level of care?
- Primary care center with no inpatient services
- Secondary level referral facility providing general and some specialized services
- Exclusive tertiary care super-specialty center
- Private clinic
Correct Answer: Secondary level referral facility providing general and some specialized services
Q10. Which parameter is commonly used to classify hospitals by size?
- Number of pharmacy staff only
- Bed strength or number of beds
- Number of windows in the building
- Distance from city center
Correct Answer: Bed strength or number of beds
Q11. A charitable hospital is primarily characterized by which feature?
- Operated for profit to shareholders
- Offers subsidized or free care funded by donations and trusts
- Provides only cosmetic procedures
- Requires private insurance for all services
Correct Answer: Offers subsidized or free care funded by donations and trusts
Q12. Which classification addresses hospital governance, funding, and legal control?
- Clinical classification
- Ownership and management classification
- Geographic classification
- Architectural classification
Correct Answer: Ownership and management classification
Q13. What is a referral hospital?
- A primary clinic that refers all cases elsewhere
- A facility that accepts patients from lower-level centers for specialized care
- A hospital that only provides home care services
- A hospital exclusively for occupational health
Correct Answer: A facility that accepts patients from lower-level centers for specialized care
Q14. Which hospital department classifies urgent care for life‑threatening conditions?
- Outpatient Department (OPD)
- Casualty or Emergency Department (ED)
- Medical Records
- Hospital Kitchen
Correct Answer: Casualty or Emergency Department (ED)
Q15. What role do hospitals play in public health surveillance and community health?
- No role; hospitals only treat individual patients
- Reporting infectious diseases, vaccination programs, and health promotion
- Only act as drug wholesale suppliers
- Only manage hospital cafeterias
Correct Answer: Reporting infectious diseases, vaccination programs, and health promotion
Q16. Which is a defining characteristic of a super‑specialty hospital?
- General medical and surgical services only
- Highly focused advanced services in one or few specialties with specialized teams
- Exclusive outpatient psychiatry services
- No intensive care units
Correct Answer: Highly focused advanced services in one or few specialties with specialized teams
Q17. How are hospitals classified by service scope?
- By the number of vending machines
- By outpatient (OPD), inpatient (IPD), emergency, and ambulatory services
- By staff shoe size
- By the color of the medical records folder
Correct Answer: By outpatient (OPD), inpatient (IPD), emergency, and ambulatory services
Q18. What is a community hospital’s primary emphasis?
- Providing highly experimental surgeries only
- Serving local population with general medical and surgical services and public health links
- Operating only as a research laboratory
- Offering only cosmetic dentistry
Correct Answer: Serving local population with general medical and surgical services and public health links
Q19. Which hospital classification would typically have residency programs for doctors?
- Private walk-in clinic
- Teaching hospital
- Small rural dispensary
- Retail pharmacy
Correct Answer: Teaching hospital
Q20. What does accreditation (e.g., NABH) assess in hospitals?
- Only the hospital’s cafeteria menu
- Quality, patient safety, clinical protocols, and management systems
- Number of parking spaces
- Color scheme of patient wards
Correct Answer: Quality, patient safety, clinical protocols, and management systems
Q21. Which hospital type commonly provides long-term custodial care and rehabilitation?
- Nursing home or long-term care facility
- Emergency trauma center
- Outpatient dental clinic
- Ambulatory surgery center
Correct Answer: Nursing home or long-term care facility
Q22. How can hospitals be classified by geographic service area?
- Local/community, district/regional, national or tertiary referral centers
- Only urban or rural, nothing else
- By the number of elevators
- By the currency accepted in billing
Correct Answer: Local/community, district/regional, national or tertiary referral centers
Q23. What is a key pharmacy-related responsibility in a hospital setting?
- Only making coffee for staff
- Ensuring rational medication use, procurement, storage, dispensing, and pharmacovigilance
- Designing hospital architecture
- Managing hospital gardens
Correct Answer: Ensuring rational medication use, procurement, storage, dispensing, and pharmacovigilance
Q24. Which of the following classifies hospitals by payment model?
- For-profit, non-profit/charitable, government-funded, and insurance-based
- Only by the hospital’s logo design
- Based on the number of cafeterias
- By the brand of computers used
Correct Answer: For-profit, non-profit/charitable, government-funded, and insurance-based
Q25. What is the functional difference between OPD and IPD?
- OPD provides inpatient surgeries only; IPD handles outpatient consultations
- OPD provides outpatient consultations and minor procedures; IPD manages admitted patients requiring continuous care
- They are the same and interchangeable
- OPD is for administrative staff only
Correct Answer: OPD provides outpatient consultations and minor procedures; IPD manages admitted patients requiring continuous care
Q26. Which factor is important when classifying a hospital as a regional referral center?
- Ability to perform complex specialized procedures and accept referrals from a wide area
- Number of vending machines available
- Location next to a shopping mall
- Having only one specialty doctor
Correct Answer: Ability to perform complex specialized procedures and accept referrals from a wide area
Q27. A hospital that integrates teaching, research, and advanced patient care is best described as:
- A small private nursing home
- An academic medical center
- A standalone diagnostic lab
- A community grocery center
Correct Answer: An academic medical center
Q28. Which classification is based on the hospital’s primary mission, such as clinical care, research, or teaching?
- Functional or mission-based classification
- Roof-material classification
- Number-of-staff classification
- Seasonal classification
Correct Answer: Functional or mission-based classification
Q29. What does bed occupancy rate indicate about a hospital?
- The percentage of beds occupied by patients over a given period, reflecting utilization
- The number of beds that are empty permanently
- The percentage of beds reserved for staff
- The number of beds in the hospital cafeteria
Correct Answer: The percentage of beds occupied by patients over a given period, reflecting utilization
Q30. Which statement best describes a corporate hospital?
- Operated by government health departments only
- Owned and managed by a corporate entity focusing on structured management and profit
- Always non-profit and charity-based
- Functioning only as a mobile clinic
Correct Answer: Owned and managed by a corporate entity focusing on structured management and profit
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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