Hospital Documentation Planning: The Concept and the Context

Documentation planning is defined in this article as a process within an institution to select an appropriate documentary record for the institution. The author describes the functions and component institutions of the U.S. health care system, identifies the functions of hospitals within the system, offers an analysis of hospital activities and administrative organization, and presents a typology of hospitals. This information provides the informational context within which a documentation plan can be developed for a particular hospital. A similar planning approach may also be applied to other types of institutions, organizations, and corporations.