Biomedical Model Vs Biopsychosocial Model

In his article “Whose Body Is It, Anyway?”—appearing in the New Yorker in October 1994—Dr. Atul Gawande highlights the complexities of the doctor-patient relationship vis-à-vis patient autonomy and decision-making. Dr. Gawande explains that a respect for patient autonomy (i.e., allowing patients to choose between courses of treatment, therefore directly influencing their health outcome) is the “new normal” for medical practitioners. However, Gawande also contends that there are times when patients are better served by a voluntary relinquishment of that autonomy.

The biomedical model relies on several assumptions including the concept of mind body dualism with the mind and body seen as separate entities and accepting that they can be treated separately. The body itself was viewed as machine with a broken part that could be repaired or healed by an expert. There is a belief that a disease has its origin in a specific and knowable cause. The sick body can be examined, treated and repaired without taking other factors into consideration. The doctor holds a detached view of the patient and treats the body in isolation without considering other reasons that contribute to the condition.

Many doctors are reactive when it comes to treating their patients treating the symptoms as they come, and don’t focus on teaching their patients ways to avert the onset of disease. “Health psychology can be applied as preventive treatment or as treatment for a pre-existing illness.” (Fogel). Health psychologists have the opportunity to treat the physical needs of

A bio-psychosocial describes an approach systematically considers biological, psychological, and social factors and their complex interactions in understanding health, illness, and health care delivery. Biological factors include defective biological processes compounds that lead to biological dysfunction and illness. Psychological factors are about the individual’s emotions, behavior, and mental processes. Social factors include social status and relations. These factors are all considered in an attempt to understand the underlying factors of such disease.

All too often in regards to medical treatment, physicians are taught everything known about the scientific approaches to disease but still fail to realize the important details of how the disease impacts the individual. Many physicians do not show empathy to their patients and instead just focus on the current diagnosis and the probable outcome. This creates a divide between patient and provider and can even lead to negative feelings of the patient that far outweigh the diagnosis itself. A feeling of hopelessness and despair may accompany the empty feeling that comes with failing to explore the patient’s perspective on care. In this essay, Parrish states,

A biopsychosocial model is a deep interrelation of all of this three-factor such as biological factors(genetic and physical history), psychological factors (cognition, will, and emotions), and social factors (socioeconomic status, culture, religion, and technology). When a combination of all of this three-factor working together, it will lead to an outcome of an illness, however, each of this factors on its own is very insufficient to lead to an

The direct clinical practice offers a solid structure to construct the standards of expert care, consultation, collaboration, evidence-based care, leadership as well as ethical decision-making. Direct client contact assist J.F. to effectively direct as well as refer direct patient care as needed. She evaluates patterns in individuals diagnostic data as well as appropriate interventions, recommended medications, obtaining additional diagnostic testing and/or supplying education. J.F. has establishes a healing partnership with all her clients. Her patients are open to her about their feelings as well as existing stressors. She admits to closely monitoring as well as proactively paying attention to them while analyzing their psychological wellness. An APRN such as J.F. communicates and interact with with her client| in order to be in tune with the patient’s psychosocial requirements. To achieve this, J.F. carries out a comprehensive|an extensive psychosocial history and physical. The demands of her patients assist J.F. to individualize treatments and review the effectiveness of care given to the patient. As a result, the relationship and direct patient treatment J.F. has effectively established a mutual understanding with her patients. The patients seem to value her awareness, respect her as a professional and accept her advice without hesitation.

The approach attributes complex events or phenomena to many causes. All these three components affect how a person develops. The biopsychosocial model is used in many fields because of how it examines how different factors affect an individual. Biological factors are usually due to genetics which are ingrained aspects of an individual such as hair color and skin tone. Biological factors also include other aspects such as brain changes and functioning of major body organs like kidney, liver or one’s motor skills. Psychological factors include aspects such as emotions, behaviors, thoughts, coping skills and temperament. The social component of biopsychosocial theory looks at social factors such as one’s culture, interactions with others, and one’s economic status (Newman & Newman, 2014). The theory is used in examining mental health disorders, social disorders and the general development of an

There are two model approaches to patient interviewing in the medical field. The biomedical interview approach, and the biopsychosocial interview approach. The biomedical approach focuses only on the biological effects on health and medicine. This approach is faster and sees a higher quantity of patients. According to Science The Need for a New Medical Model: A Challenge for Biomedicine, the biomedical model, “…assumes disease to be fully accounted for by deviations from the norm of measurable biological (somatic) variables” (Engel 130). The biopsychosocial approach, on the other hand, focuses not only on the biological effects, but also the psychological and social effects on health and medicine as well. This approach digs deeper into the patient’s history, uses more variables, and finds the source of the problem and solves it. According to the article Reflections on a New Medical Cosmology, the biopsychosocial approach “...gives recognition to the difficulties and distortions involved in framing qualitative issues, whether psychological or social, in quantitative terms, and so provides a separation between those appropriately…” (Greaves 82). It is often seen that because the biomedical approach does not include psychological and social factors, much information is left out, and the patient and medical professional cannot fully make a connection with each other. It is important to form a trustworthy bond with patients so that you

unlike the biomedical model; it not only focuses on an individual’s biological alterations to understand an illness but also the distal (social, psychological and behavioural) factors for understanding of diseases such as NCDs (Borrell-Carrio et al., 2004). Thus in the present day society where the diseases are driven by social factors, the biopsychosocial model is the most relevant model in addressing the current health care issues.

This essay will focus on the biomedical and social model of health. It will be critically discussing both models using supporting theories and highlighting the limitations of each. This essay will also discuss and analyse how both models relate to lay perspectives on health and illness.

Through this general acceptance this model allows doctors of the future to have a holistic and humanistic approach towards their patients.

The biomedical model is what dominates today’s medical profession, “People are healthy so long as they show no signs of bodily abnormality” (Aggleton, 1990). This is a typical biomedical statement it shows that medical practitioners who follow the biomedical model are more focussed on treating the body and not the mind, this is because it is quicker and cheaper to treat a person with drugs rather than delve into treating the mind with

Health psychology is the “promotion and treatment of illness and related dysfunction” (Ogden, 2007). In health psychology there are two schools of thought, the biomedical school of thought and the biopsychosocial school of thought. The biomedical school of thought holds the view that we are biological beings therefore any health related concerns we experience may only be viewed as biological.

The correlation between the mind and body is not a new concept, but the understanding of this natural phenomenon is expanding. There are literally thousands of articles that have been published on the topic, with it all pointing to the exceptional benefit of developing a positive mental attitude.