Major Hospital Differences: 100 Years Ago and Now

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Major Hospital Differences: 100 Years Ago and Now
The medical field has experienced significant changes through advancements in the
delivery of patient care and the appropriate channels of care administration. At the center of this
is the development of hospitals that play a central role in patients and their families' lives,
through births, deaths, administration of life-saving treatments and rejuvenation therapy in
overcoming illness. The hospital experience has been revolutionized towards patient-centered
care, away from a hospital experience characterized by lengthy stays at medical facilities,
multiple gray areas in disease prevention, and a lack of patient respect and confidentiality. The
evolution of the hospital industry has continued with streamlined and improved patient care,
integration of data systems into patient management, and a shift in payment models from fee-forservice to fee-for-outcome, in a manner reflective of patient-centered care.
Scientific developments and technological innovations have led to the healthcare
revolution, characterized by, among improved surgical procedures and techniques, safe
utilization of anesthesia in patients, and safe child-bearing techniques, among others. Anesthesia
use has become less dangerous, and efficient control over its use has been attributed to the Ralph
Waters' re-breathing circuit, which has enabled artificial ventilation application in surgical
procedures (Stephen 24). Additionally, significant milestones have been achieved towards the
provision of quality pregnancy monitoring in which the modern woman can have the gender of
the child they bear while ensuring continuous medical checkups on the baby they carry.
Electronic scans and related technologies have been developed to monitor the progress of both 
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mother and child, enabling early intervention measures to be taken to prevent any possible
adversity. Further, significant improvements have been realized on the cesarean section to help
maximize birth outcomes.
Further, hospitals have been revolutionized through entrenchment of professionalized
administrative practices focused on improving patient-centered care (Randolph 2). Hospitals
have become leading facilities for providing multiple healthcare services from prevention to
treatment, while also transforming hospitals into institutions for research, health education,
training programs, and disease surveillance mechanisms. Hospitals, both within the developed
and developing countries, have also been entirely equipped towards the provision of adequate
and efficient healthcare to the communities they serve. Moreover, racial, religious, and gender
discrimination that may have been prevalent during the past century has been significantly
reduced, and the provision of medical care and appropriate treatment facilities has been extended
to all and sundry (Leonard N.p). Patients have been empowered to access the best available care,
and as such, hospitals that fail to properly deliver on their mandate have been subject to
litigations. Incorporation of medical technology in patient care has ensured that their health
history is available without relying on manual systems, thus warranting more effective medical
care (Ghassemi, Celi, & Stone 575).
Contemporary hospitals continue to face multiple challenges and opportunities, similar to
a century ago; however, hospitals have risen above these hurdles to become leading partners in
developing and delivering patient care, while being professional health education stewards
through active engagement in promotion of improved public health. Hospitals today pool
professions from across multiple professional disciplines, leading to significant clinical
innovations. Patient-centered care has been the epitome of the last century's hallmark in
hospitals, ensuring the correct and appropriate healthcare delivery at the right time and manner. 
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Works Cited
Ghassemi, Marzyeh, Leo Anthony Celi, and David J. Stone. "State of the Art review: the data
revolution in critical care." Critical Care 19.1 (2015): 118.
Leonard, Kimberly. "Hospital Of Yesterday: The Biggest Changes In Health Care." US News.
N.p., 2014. Web. 9 Mar. 2017.
Randolph, Fillmore. The Evolution of the US Healthcare System.
Stephen, Hilary. The Growth of Hospitals. New York: Sing Song Press, 2004. Print.