The topic of my research was based off the World Health Organization report "Primary Health Care (PHC), and why now, more than ever?" No matter where you go in the world, having access to quality healthcare is important. We can learn a lot from how other countries approach this common need.
The Italian healthcare community was looking for ways to build stronger patient-doctor relationships in hospitals. Many people believe Italy has the best universal healthcare available, but what happens if the patients and doctors aren't forming relationships that build trust? I read a lot of information about this question, and the short answer is that healthcare is based on these relationships.
Italy is a individualistic society, meaning that many Italians are likely to try to fix their problems by themselves instead of counting on others to help them. This is an important factor to consider when you start to think about healthcare and how to design a really helpful visit to a doctor's office. Over the course of my research, I learned that most Italian healtcare professionals only come into your room one time. They tell you your diagnosis and then they write your medication and leave. This is a fairly common practice. Is that what happens when you go to see a doctor?
