Rural v Urban Ethics -- A Different Apporach

All across the country we encounter different codes of ethics and ways of life. However, in healthcare it becomes more complicated. Once accustomed to a particular way of life, it is hard to adjust to anything outside of what is considered the norm. As a healthcare professional, should it be considered ethical to bring a particular set of views and norms into a setting where these norms are anything but "normal"? After reading a selection from our required text I began to think about rural v urban civilizations. Healthcare in these two civilizations differ dramatically. For example, in an urban community racial and ethnic diversity spread beyond the city; however, rural communities continue to share common values, such as self-reliance, independence and cultural perspectives that influence healthcare practices in their regions. Although urban communities may have a enhanced outlook on future outcomes and beneficial strategies, should one interrupt a particular lifestyle to invoke these thoughts? Furthermore, rural healthcare organizations encounter distinct economic challenges. For example, the number of patients living below the poverty level is higher than in most metropolitan areas, while per capita income is lower. Once again, should fundraising and other tactical financial strategies be advised in a setting where one may practice the complete opposite? Lastly, across the county, many rural communites have limited access to – or simply nonexistent- healthcare organizations to healthcare professionals, including nurses, social workers, and mental health professionals. Should encouragement of more healthcare professionals and services be suggested in a community where they may have substitutes?

Overall, it can be thought of as a polite gesture to advise and suggest new ways to effectively deliver healthcare; however, because these two societies dramatically differ it can also be considered an insult. These beliefs plagued my mind as I thought of multiple ways the rural community could improve their form of healthcare, but who am I to suggest a change in culture in an environment where they have been accustomed to these norms. In all honesty, we could probably take some suggestions from the rural community and implement them into our current system. These communities exemplify the different areas and beliefs that this country embodies. Though we may consider ourselves a very commercialized and urbanized country, there are still areas in which we have left untouched. I do believe that it may be best to leave rural areas as is, because at some point in this crazy shuffle of healthcare we will need to revert back to the basics of health

Patient Satisfaction

The perspective of the patient is one of the most important elements of any health care organization. The patient essentially affects all areas of the hospital. The patient provides customer loyalty, marketing by word-of-mouth, and reputation of the hospital. A patient being the most important determinant as to whether an adverse event has occurred is essential when effectively running an organization. Measurement of patient satisfaction stands poised to play an increasingly important role in the growing push toward accountability among health care providers. s physicians and hospitals experience growing pressure to increase the quality of their outcomes, enhance the safety of their patients and lower the cost of their care, analysts expect greater attention and scrutiny to be given to the accountability function of patient satisfaction scores, and to ways in which patient satisfaction measurement can be further integrated into an overall measure of clinical quality.