Baylor University Medical efficiency through education 2
My philosophy of health is based on the improvement of healthcare efficiency through
medical education in minority groups and in the medical office. Medical care for minority groups
in the United States is difficult because of the cultural boundary; many individuals don't speak
English or come from a place where medical techniques and practices are perceived differently.
Many minorities have integrated members of American society but still receive neglect in the
realm of medicine due to monetary and cultural stratification in history. Through the education
of these neglected groups on modern practices, medical knowledge, and Financial awareness in
medical situations, these Americans can receive the care they truly deserve. At the same time
efficiency in the technological realm of medicine is decaying. This is due in part to a vast amount
of doctors in practice not being educated about techniques that would improve the usage of the
newly adapted technological interfaces. Education of both minorities and doctors alike
Being half Puerto Rican and half Korean influenced the way I perceive my cultural
environment. It allowed me to understand certain aspects of humanity’s cultures that shaped the
way I think and how groups of people in my cultural niche think. My father is an immigrant and Medical efficiency through education 3 a physician, and yet he tells me how hard it is to accommodate to certain cultures and groups
simply because he is not educated on these cultures and their languages. A key point of this
philosophy is education of medical workers on certain majority minority groups that affect the
area that they practice. For example, a quota should be met for doctors in San Antonio that speak
Spanish and their associated colloquialisms. Due to the high influx of Hispanics in that city,
Doctors who are trained in the language can diagnose patients who don't speak English more
accurately and efficiently than a doctor with a language barrier to the patient. This plays into my
next key point, the necessity for medical office led educational programs targeted at minorities.
A study done in 2007 by Katrina Armstrong MD found that physician distrust in the United
States highest in Minority groups (especially in Hispanic and African American groups)
compared to Caucasians. It goes on to establish that most of these statistics were concentrated
more in impoverished ghettos across America; where most ethnic groups in America reside. This
would improve the way healthcare is respected in these cultural niches and thus improve
efficiency. While on the topic of efficiency, I can personally confirm that doctors across the
nation are losing productivity due to the adaptation of electronic records. My father, who is an
internal medicine physician, constantly complains about this issue; yet, I feel as if his issues stem
from a lack of understanding. People in my generation grew up with technology and thus have
attributes that reflect that, such as vast knowledge of operating systems and improved typing.
Educating older generations of physicians on modern technologies and their functions could
drastically improve the productivity of the medical field. A major aspect of technological
efficiency that is overlooked in medicine is information transfer. Multiple offices use different
platforms to document, that then must be sent in other formats to other offices to evaluate; this Medical efficiency through education 4 process is a direct hindrance on medical efficiency. A platform that is universal and uses a
universal documentation format for all medical offices would be ideal. Thus, creating this
platform is a key aspect of my philosophy of health. Technological education would also be
universal which creates a better understanding of medical information and how to translate it.
An organization that is reflective of furthering health education is the NCHEC. They
have established seven responsibilities that is reflective of medical education and health
promotion. My philosophy fits into Area III, which highlights the Implementation of health
education and promotion in society. The cultural aspect of my philosophy is to implement health
promotion in impoverished communities of affected minorities which would improve
doctor-patient relations in those areas. The second half of my philosophy is reflective of Area IV,
which pertains to how comprehension of research related to health promotion. Research toward a
universal system of electronic documentation would be groundbreaking, thus making the
research toward such a software essential in health education. As health educators, we have a
duty to the public in order to promote health at all levels of life. Thus my philosophy is key to
promoting not just the quality of life, but the quality of care as well.
My philosophy of health promotes the importance of unity in health care quality while
trying to reform the efficiency of the medical practice in order to provide a product that would
aid the minority population and promote fast, accurate care for all. In the future, universal
databases could create limitless possibilities with regards to the transfer of information to facility
to facility. While education of cultures across medicine could create more accurate care
environments through equal understanding of respect and intentions.
Medical efficiency through education 5 Sources:
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Physician Distrust in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 17, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1913079/
Racial/Ethnic Discrimination in Health Care: Impact on Perceived Quality of Care. (n.d.).
