The coordinated, or otherwise explicitly agreed upon, sharing of responsibility for provision of medical or non-medical services on the part of two or more otherwise independent hospitals or other health programs. The sharing of medical services might include, for example, an agreement that one hospital provide all pediatric care needed in a community and no obstetrical services while another undertook the reverse. Examples of shared nonmedical services would include joint laundry or dietary services for two or more nursing homes. Common laundry services purchased by two or more health programs from one independent retailer of laundry services are not usually thought of as shared services unless the health programs own or otherwise control the retailer.
Administrative, clinical, or other services provided by or for two or more institutions. The services are used jointly or under some arrangement which improves service, reduces cost, or both. A common type of shared service is group purchasing.