As you respond, after you have read the description of his/her research proposal, do you see theories, concepts, events and topics that he/she has not mentioned, but could have some relevance?

The problem that I am researching is the high costs of medical care in the United States of America. This is a growing issue that directly impacts patient care, health care accessibility, and overall societal wellness. This topic is also relevant to my major in health care management because health care managers can be involved in the solution process, so I think that it is important to understand the contributing factors behind this growing problem to effect change in the health care industry.

One concept that has been greatly stressed throughout my major coursework is the importance of maintaining high ethical standards in the health care industry by doing no harm and providing truthful information to patients. However, exorbitantly high medical expenses coupled with deceptive pricing practices can cause both physical and financial harm to patients because it encourages many patients to avoid receiving necessary medical care. For example, a national survey conducted by the West Health Institute and NORC at University of Chicago (2019) discovered that many Americans not only delay treatment, but also go without recommended medical care or prescriptions because it is too expensive. This is concerning because delayed medical treatment is correlated with increased disease severity and higher mortality rates of preventable conditions (Ratnapradipa et al., 2023). The current American medical system attends more or less single-mindedly to its own profits and is focused on greed instead of health which directly opposes the codes of ethics that health care providers should stand by (McDonough, 2017). My research topic aims to discuss why this problem exists in the U.S. health care industry in order to determine solutions to help mitigate this issue.