The Biomedical Model of Health and Illness

In this essay, the author

• Explains the biomedical model of health and illness, which is the basis of modern western medical practice.
• Explains that the reductionist view of illness is based on the simplest possible cause of the illness and applies the easiest cure.
• Explains that the biomedical model is based on the belief that there is always a cure and the idea that illness is temporary, episodic and physical.
• Explains that biomedicine rests upon two major developments, both of which remain influential to this day. the cartesian revolution encouraged the idea that the body and mind are independent or not closely related.
• Explains that the second conceptual shift that transformed medical thinking was louis pasteur's development of 'germ theory', which claimed that micro-organisms invisible to the naked eye caused disease and could be transmitted.
• Analyzes how pasteur demonstrated that germs were the cause rather than the product of disease. ken browne suggests that what counts as health and ill health in recent years is influenced by society.
• Analyzes how trowler points out that people are now treated as objects to be manipulated by medical technology.
• Explains that the biomedical gives doctors and medical practitioners enormous amounts of power as they have a monopoly of control.
• Explains that the approach to health and illness is not reductionist and attributes ill health to five factors.
• Explains that micro and macro levels affect us individually, causing illnesses. the biomedical model of health describes heart disease as being caused by a culture of unhealthy.
• Opines that ken browne empathizes on the social aspects and the expense of the medical model, as medicine has indeed helped to improve health.
• Analyzes how sheerman argues that the most extreme version of social construction can be criticised on many levels.
• Explains that sheerman is critical of the biomedical model, suggesting that illness needs to be treated using science even if socially constructed.
• Explains that medicine adopts a "mechanical metaphor" presuming that doctors can act like enginners to mend which is dysfunctioning.
• Analyzes how illich's conflict view suggests that modern medicine can also make people ill.
• Explains the functionalist's perspectives of health and ill health, defined as anyone unable to perform their social role.
• Explains that the functionalist's perspective has serious consequences on the functioning of society, for if everyone was sick society would no longer function. the "sick role" is created as a functioning role within society.
• Argues that biological analysis alone is inadequate, and social factors need to be considered. however, this "sick role" is dangerous and could lead to a subculture of "sickness".
• Concludes that there needs to be more of a joint model of health and ill health such as the new realists approach.