Free valet parking, baby grand piano, macchiatos at the coffee bar, concierge service, flat-screen TVs, 300-thread-count sheets (who counts?), wireless keyboards and in-room Internet service.
These are hospital amenities described in a recent Washington Post story, "Hospitals Treat Patients To Five-Star Amenities: Facilities Seek Market Edge With Plush Extras."
The Post reports: "This trend has its critics, including industry consultants who caution hospitals to remember that their primary mission is to treat patients, not coddle them. Some hospital administrators, too, are leery of overspending on frills." One said, "I would rather put money into nursing care and staffing and making sure our doctors are there. At the end of the day, it's about taking care of patients."
The story also reminds readers: "As some of the Washington area's hospitals expand at record levels and add amenities, others don't have that luxury. They are buckling under the burden of caring for the uninsured, raising concerns about widening disparities in health-care facilities."
Meantime, in the Midwest, former U.S. Senator David Durenberger and the National Institute of Health Policy host a series of dialogues starting tomorrow to better understand "The Medical Arms Race Syndrome" --the interplay between technological innovation, market forces, the role of government, and rising healthcare costs.
Posted by schwitz at July 12, 2006 07:21 AM | TrackBack