Summary Of The Hospital By Roy Porter

In “The Hospital” by Roy Porter, there was much discussion on the three evolutions of the hospital care system. It changed from treating the unclean (those suffering from leprosy), who were forcibly, to a “madhouse” beginnings in the 1200’s and hospice intermediates during the 1300’s to 1700’s). Lastly, it changed to what we now know as its modern role, a site for medical examinations and treatments by doctors and medical students. However, this just recently came about in the late 18th century. One point made in this section of Blood and Guts that stood out to me. Therefore, it prompted me to ask this discussion question: Since modern day hospital no longer is “a site of charity”, can it be seen now as a site for the wealth due to increase cost for medical care and the fact that increased wealth allows for better access to more advance/new medical technologies? If so, how would attempt to address this division in care at the hospital level?
This restriction of information by the doctor ignoring the patient's concerns and beliefs because of the demands of medical discourse and system, it seriously compromises the quality of patient care (not just physical but also mentally). One line that stood to me was that the restriction of information may “arise out of a structural imperative in the medical profession to protect itself from scrutiny”. Where do see the demands of medical discourse occurring in our other readings? For example, in the case pseudo-patients we read earlier this semester. In addition, what might be the purpose of alternative medicine can serve here to help fill the gaps between doctor-patient interactions (can they provide need information to the patient?)? What other measures can be made to limit compromised