Assess the Biomedical and Socio-medical
Assess the Biomedical and Socio-medical models of health
This essay will assess how useful the biomedical and socio-medical models of health are and what contributions they have made to health and social care.
The biomedical model of health is an approach which eliminates psychological and social factors (environment) but only comprises biological issues in trying to recognise or understand an individual’s medial illness/disorder. In the Western world, the biomedical model has dominated all other models of health since the 19th century. This model is the model of health most used by health care professionals and is the foundation of most medical science. As a result, it is the cure that doctors focus on. Their approach is based on what is perceived as normal or abnormal in terms of bodily functions.
The biomedical model is most effective with short-term or acute illnesses, where a cause is identified and the relevant treatment is administered. It is least effective when dealing with chronic illnesses; those which persist over long periods of time and are managed rather than cured.
The biomedical model of health fits in well with the functionalist perspective to sociology as it sees ill-health as being dysfunctional to society. For functionalists, if people adopt the sick role they are exempt from their usual roles and responsibilities. The biomedical model also takes a curative approach, meaning that it focusses on the cure of an illness. Focussing on physical aspects of illnesses means they can be scientifically tested, which therefore allows development of treatments.
A disadvantage of the biomedical model of health is that it is not a long-term strategy. By not looking at a patient’s medical history, asking them how they feel and also not asking fully detailed questions about an illness, means that the same illness could re-occur in the future. Marxists criticise the biomedical model of health because this model ignores an individual’s living conditions
This essay will assess how useful the biomedical and socio-medical models of health are and what contributions they have made to health and social care.
The biomedical model of health is an approach which eliminates psychological and social factors (environment) but only comprises biological issues in trying to recognise or understand an individual’s medial illness/disorder. In the Western world, the biomedical model has dominated all other models of health since the 19th century. This model is the model of health most used by health care professionals and is the foundation of most medical science. As a result, it is the cure that doctors focus on. Their approach is based on what is perceived as normal or abnormal in terms of bodily functions.
The biomedical model is most effective with short-term or acute illnesses, where a cause is identified and the relevant treatment is administered. It is least effective when dealing with chronic illnesses; those which persist over long periods of time and are managed rather than cured.
The biomedical model of health fits in well with the functionalist perspective to sociology as it sees ill-health as being dysfunctional to society. For functionalists, if people adopt the sick role they are exempt from their usual roles and responsibilities. The biomedical model also takes a curative approach, meaning that it focusses on the cure of an illness. Focussing on physical aspects of illnesses means they can be scientifically tested, which therefore allows development of treatments.
A disadvantage of the biomedical model of health is that it is not a long-term strategy. By not looking at a patient’s medical history, asking them how they feel and also not asking fully detailed questions about an illness, means that the same illness could re-occur in the future. Marxists criticise the biomedical model of health because this model ignores an individual’s living conditions