Evolution of the Hospital Industry: A Comparative Analysis

The majority of individuals have experienced at least one visit to a hospital in their lifetime. Although hospitals aren’t pleasant destinations, they hold immense significance in society. Over time, hospitals have undergone substantial changes from their previous forms, reflecting significant evolution The purpose of this paper is to review the history of hospital care in the USA, mainly how delivery of care, professions within the field, roles and responsibilities, and settings have changed. The significant changes and trends that will be explored in the paper include the areas of hospital environment, medical staff education level, level and type of care, and system of payments used by hospitals.

Hospital Care Evolution

The USA has one of the world’s most advanced, complex, and costly healthcare. For a country’s healthcare system to be portrayed this way, it must have experienced plentiful changes. Due to these changes, the hospital setting, staff instruction, level of care, and payment methods within the nation nowadays vary from what they used to be in the 1800s and 1960s. If hospital care between these periods were to be compared, several differences and a few similarities would be noted. In the 19th century, hospitals encountered problems such as overcrowding and a lack of skilled medical staff, resulting in substandard care for patients (Klimek, 2022). Typically, individuals had to pay for their healthcare expenses upfront with cash. As the 20th century progressed, hospitals saw improvements in their facilities, staff training, quality of care, and payment methods for treatment. Then, in the 21st century, there were notable changes with the introduction of new technologies, innovative healthcare approaches, and revisions in healthcare regulations.

Hospital Environment

During the 1800s, hospitals were frequently characterized as dirty, cramped, and excessively populated. Despite the limited availability of beds, medical equipment, and skilled personnel, individuals sought assistance there (Klimek, 2022). Hospitals may have been better by the 1960s, although they had experienced substantial modifications. If compared to the 1800s, the majority had constructed laboratories, had a greater number of beds available for the ill, had new medical technology introduced, and hospitals were less packed (Klimek, 2022). Hospitals these days are far more stylishly satisfying and advanced than they were in the past (Nilsen et al., 2020). Even though no one loves or appreciates going by hospitals, modern hospitals offer the most noteworthy care and administrations to their patients thanks to their cutting-edge innovations and warm atmosphere.

Medical Staff Education

During the 1800s, many became medical professionals through apprenticeship, and sometimes, no experience was needed for nurses, midwives, and physicians. Although the American Medical Association was started during this period, attending medical school was not compulsory, and even those who underwent training did not necessarily sit for exams (Klimek, 2022). In the 1960s, formal education for medical personnel became compulsory, students competed to earn a chance in medical schools, and medical residencies became popular (Schwartz et al., 2018). The current medical school curriculum is even more sophisticated than that of the 1800s and 1960s in that more programs have been introduced, students can pursue different specialties and courses online, and certification and accreditation are compulsory.

Level of Care in Hospitals

The quality of care provided in hospitals during the 1800s was extremely poor. With only a handful of individuals possessing medical training and experience to attend to patients, there was a lack of understanding about illnesses, and hospitals had restricted resources to deliver optimal services. As a result, patients did not receive proper attention (Himmelstein & Woolhandler, 2020). Several improvements took place in the 1960s, and as the number of qualified professionals working in hospitals increased, patients began to get improved services and care. Today, hospital treatment is upgraded and improved (Himmelstein & Woolhandler, 2020). Unlike in the other centuries, new technologies have been introduced, focusing more on health research and outcomes.

Paying for Care

In the 1800s, patients typically paid for hospital services with cash. However, those without money could use material goods to pay medical workers. Private health insurance was set up in the mid-1900s, and companies began to give medical coverage to their workers (Thibault, 2020). By the 1960s, the larger part of Americans had medical health insurance and were not compelled to pay for hospital treatments in cash. Today, everyone requires medical coverage insurance (Thibault, 2020; Young & Kroth, 2018). However, it does not mean a uniform payment system is currently in use because Americans can pay for medical services through health insurance plans or make individual payments.

Comparative Analysis

Since the 1800s, the American healthcare system has seen significant evolution. There was a period when untrained people were working as nurses and physicians. Also, there was a time when a person could visit a facility with no medical equipment and have faith that they would receive treatment. Even though it took centuries for the industry to become what it is nowadays, a few of these turning points were worth it. If the hospitals were not as destitute and tarnished as they were in the 1800s, and numerous individuals had not passed on from constant illnesses due to scarcity of trained staff and medical gear, perhaps no one would have pushed for enhanced healthcare in the 1990s. As a result of the challenges faced in the 1800s, education and training for healthcare professionals became better in the 1900s and all through to the present. Healthcare insurance was introduced, hospital environments improved, and so did the level of care offered to patients. The current healthcare system is an improved version of the 1900s. Nurse and other staff abilities, room arrangements, care type and level, and payment mechanisms have all improved dramatically today. Advancements in medical research, preventive healthcare initiatives, and improving patient services have been significant. Historical periods have unique milestones that shaped healthcare, like the American Medical Association’s establishment and the introduction of healthcare insurance. Advocacy for affordable healthcare and technology integration in the 2000s were crucial advancements. These milestones propelled the healthcare sector to its current state of advancement. From the 1800s to the 2020s, the US healthcare system underwent remarkable transformations, transitioning from chaos to a structured and innovative setup.Top of Form

Conclusion

Understanding this historical background holds significance for modern nurses and individuals embarking on a career path in nursing. For instance, it is important to know why nurses do what they do today and where the profession started to appreciate how far the profession has come and developed. Also, it is inspiring to know that there was a time when nurses treated and cared for patients even when they had no training, experience, and resources, devoted themselves to the profession despite the challenges, and assisted physicians in doing almost everything. Current nurses can learn a lot from ancient nurses. History always reminds medical professionals why they persist in their demanding profession. Those who pursued medical professions in the 1800s were not necessarily given formal education, and payment was strictly based on cash. By the 1900s, efforts were made to address these issues by introducing formal education, creating healthcare coverage, improving hospital conditions, and enhancing the quality and range of care provided. In the 2000s, additional progress occurred, marked by the introduction of new technologies, increased availability of healthcare choices, expanded educational and training opportunities for medical personnel, and a wider array of services offered by hospitals. All these transformations and achievements starting from the 1800s have offered nurses valuable insights into patient care and health outcomes improvement. Studying the history of hospital care allows nurses to understand the evolution of patient care practices over time and the rationale behind contemporary care approaches. Without this historical perspective, contemporary nurses might overlook the achievements and failures of hospital care, potentially repeating past mistakes.

References

Himmelstein, D. U., & Woolhandler, S. (2020). The US health care system on the eve of the Covid-19 epidemic: a summary of recent evidence on its impaired performance. International Journal of Health Services, 50(4), 408-414.

Klimek, S. (2022). Respectability Politics: The Professionalization of Nursing Practice. Women Leading Change: Case Studies on Women, Gender, and Feminism, 6(1), 56–71.

Nilsen, P., Seing, I., Ericsson, C., Birken, S. A., & Schildmeijer, K. (2020). Characteristics of successful changes in health care organizations: an interview study with physicians, registered nurses and assistant nurses. BMC health services research, 20, 1-8.

Schwartz, C. C., Ajjarapu, A. S., Stamy, C. D., & Schwinn, D. A. (2018). Comprehensive history of 3-year and accelerated US medical school programs: a century in review. Medical Education Online, 23(1), 1530557.

Thibault, G. E. (2020). The future of health professions education: emerging trends in the United States. FASEB BioAdvances, 2(12), 685.

Young, K. M., & Kroth, P. J. (2018). Health care USA: Understanding its organization and delivery (9th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Appendix

Comparative Analysis Table: Hospital Care Evolution