The rural hospital as a provider of health promotion programs

Although patient education has always been recognized as an essential function of a hospital, it was not until the health concerns of the nation focused on prevention that hospitals began to develop activities aimed at primarily healthy individuals. Hospital health promotion evolved from patient education about specific diseases to programs focused on modifying of lifestyle practices to prevent future debilitating conditions. Studies conducted in the early 1980s show hospital-based health promotion programs increasing in number and including such target populations as senior citizens, children, business people, and hospital employees. However, the extent of involvement of the rural hospital in offering health promotion programs has not been clearly established. The current study was conducted to determine the status of health promotion programs in rural North Carolina hospitals. Elements considered were types of programs, target audiences, methods of financing, staff use, and availability of specialized facilities for health promotion programs. The results indicate rural hospitals do offer health promotion programs, but their primary focus is on hospital employees. Most programs are offered at low or no cost, making those offered for the community readily accessible. If input from the community is used and programming is aimed at specific health needs of rural populations, the rural hospital could make a significant contribution to an overall primary prevention strategy, lowering community health care costs.