Hospital Services Form Public Image

Abstract

A hospital with an eminent medical and profes sional staff, the latest in life-sustaining equipment and supporting laboratories, nutritious food, and dedicated employees may still have the public image of being antiquated, inefficient, and dingy.

Why? Patients and their families are prone to judge and compare a hospital with a hotel. And because a hospital must build a tremendous amount of auxiliary services into its per-bed rate structure, the $65 to $130 daily rate for bed and board in a ward or semi-private room may seem excessive to the public. For a private hos pital room with bath, a $165 rate to the patient who is familiar with the rates for first-class hotel accommodations and services may appear to be outrageous. Particularly is this true when the patient-contact services and accommodations are drab, impersonal, and lacking in comfort at a time when the patient is confined and acutely aware of his surroundings.

This article reviews what can be done to update and upgrade hospital environment so that the patient and his family gain a total feeling of the best possible medical care. — Ed.