A journal article review

I retrieved the article that I will evaluate from the online database JSTOR. This database contains a lot of journal articles which a user can choose from, not only about medicine but also from other fields as well. Its vast content is probably the best feature that I like about this database, as simple keywords could have a lot of results in its search engine. Specifically, the articles I have retrieved have complete publication information which can be used to verify its contents. Also, the contents could be read online or just be downloaded in a computer for offline use.

I think JSTOR online database would really be helpful when I'm already working in my field, and I strongly recommend using it. The contents are not limited to one field alone, so it could be used for a variety of purpose. Subscribing to this database is worth every penny that I've spent, and I'm sure this wouldn't be the last time I'll be using it. Right now, it is really useful for me as a student because I can access a lot of articles related to my field. I could browse and study these articles even if I'm not required to do so, just to broaden my knowledge and perhaps gain an edge when it comes to my field.

The article I have chosen is "The Structure of a Hospital's Image" by Zeev Ben-Sira (Ben-Sira). It is a study that intends to explain the different factors that affect the creation of a hospital's image to a patient and how that image would affect the hospital. The study points out that the image of a hospital is very important in building the patient's trust and reassurance, as well as the relief from anxiety caused by various health conditions and medical procedures. The study was conducted to a sample composed of expatients of a university hospital. Results show that one of the factors that must be considered in the creation of the hospital image is the affective behavior physicians and nurses of the hospital. Another crucial factor is the hospital's perceived competence level, which is the result of the patients' satisfaction with the medical treatment and procedures administered by the physicians.

According to the author, the hospital's image is predominantly based on its physicians and nurses. I think that the author has a point in saying this, considering that it's really the patients who construct the hospital's image. Their basis for this image would evidently be the things that they can see in the hospital, which are its personnel. The performance of the physicians and nurses would determine whether a patient would be cured or healed, thus determining the satisfaction of the patient. For me however, there are other things that could affect the hospital's image. One would be the services offered, not limited to that of the physicians or the nurses. The more the patients feel comfortable and relaxed, the more they'll form a positive image for the hospital. Another would be the availability of technology in the hospital. Specific tests for patients would require specific machines. If this is readily available in the hospital, then it could also affect that image formed by the patient.

I think this article is written both as a report and as guide for people working in this field. Surely, it would be an advantage if the hospitals and its personnel knew how patients formed an image of them. This could help them correct their services and practices, and align them to the concerns of the patient. It could be an improvement not only for the hospital but also for the patients. An improvement in the service would mean ease and comfort for the patients, thus resulting to a better image for the hospital and its people.

This article is very helpful in my chosen field. This could serve as a guide for hospitals, physicians and nurses. A good hospital image would always be an advantage for the hospital and also for its patients. I recommend that these article be read by those in the field of medicine and those in the hospital industry so that they would know if what they're doing would benefit them in the end.

Work Cited:

• Ben-Sira, Zeev. "The Structure of a Hospital's Image." Medical Care Vol. 21.No. 10 (1983).