The ongoing pandemic has necessitated growth and development in the healthcare sector of many economies. Technology innovation in therapeutic practices has improved the quality of medication across the globe. Specifically, the East-West Medicine context has developed due to collaborative and cooperative activities by practitioners. This model entails an objective integration of Chinese traditional medicine with modern western healthcare practices (Popic & Schneider, 2018). This discussion presents a reaction to this framework with its potential impacts on the quality of medical services. As will be noted, conventional practices of accessing medical services depict the standard process in western countries, including the U.S., the European Union (E.U.), and the U.K. (Popic & Schneider, 2018). Consequently, several challenges exist to the successful adoption of this approach in modern healthcare practices in many economies. Most fundamentally, East-West Medicine helps improve care quality by ensuring comprehensive integration of relevant factors and vital stakeholders in diagnosing and treating illnesses among patients.
The integrative approach for offering medical services may seem complicated among individuals using conventional processes of accessing healthcare. For instance, some patients may consider family members’ external involvement upon diagnosis of a chronic illness such as cancer, arthritis, or diabetes. The diseases can result in severe stress cases among relatives and close friends of the patient. Ensuring patient’s details and preferences is a crucial practice in healthcare practices among western countries. The Chinese traditional medicine framework would require timely and consistent integration of varying factors and stakeholders after diagnosing a long-term illness (East-West consultative care, n.d). In addition, East-West Medicine may seem complex among persons used to seeing medical practitioners in emergency room settings without a healthcare surrounding. It is worth noting that medical procedures are conducted in healthcare settings, including dispensaries, clinics, or hospitals (Popic & Schneider, 2018). This environment contributes positively towards the treatment of patients with varying conditions. Consequently, the integrative approach becomes complicated when medical practitioners consult clients away from the described environment.
Moreover, the East-West Medicine approach may be complex to individuals with frequent healthcare coverage changes or accessing the same provider. Western countries price medical services depending on the level and complexity of a condition. For instance, cancer treatment is different from a diagnosis of diabetes or arthritis, hence, they vary in cost (Popic & Schneider, 2018). The traditional Chinese medicine approach entails accessing the same healthcare provider to treat or heal patients consistently. The expert is consulted whenever a condition reoccurs, and they are trusted with the diagnosis of related illnesses. Frequent interaction with a patient develops a critical understanding and trust between a patient and a medical practitioner. This is to acknowledge that healthcare coverage and access to a common expert for medical needs constitute vital challenges of implementing the East-West Medicine model.
In conclusion, this approach will contribute significantly to the reduction of healthcare costs and improved patient care. Medical expenses primarily determine the conventional procedure of accessing western healthcare services. Individuals with low incomes cannot afford expensive medical procedures due to associated costs. However, traditional Chinese medicine presents a useful framework that can benefit patients when integrated with western healthcare practices. The holistic approach which results from the interaction contributes to improved patient satisfaction levels. Accurate integration of relevant medical practice to the treatment process is vital for prompt recovery among patients. Most importantly, patient satisfaction can improve with implementing the East-West Medicine approach when relevant stakeholders are involved in medical processes. Close friends and relatives are critical for ensuring strategic diagnosis and treatment among patients.
References
East-West consultative care (n.d). UCLA Center for East-West Medicine. Web.
Popic, T., & Schneider, S. M. (2018). An East–West comparison of healthcare evaluations in Europe: Do institutions matter?. Journal of European Social Policy, 28(5), 517-534. Web.