Abstract
Abstract:
The term “financial medicine” refers to the delivery of health-related services
where the generation of financial gain or
“profit”
takes precedence over the provision of
care that is reflective of evidence-based best practice. The practicing of financial medicine
includes over-servicing and overbilling, both of which have led to a sharp rise in the cost of
health care and medical insurance in South Africa. For this reason, the practicing of
financial medicine has been widely condemned both internationally and locally by the
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and allied Professional bodies.
Objectives:
This qualitative pilot study explored and described the experiences of South
African Paramedics with regard to the practicing of financial medicine in the local pre-
hospital emergency care environment.