There are many influential contributions to the biomedical model dating as far back as 450 B.C with the ancient Greek Hippocratic collection, which are the documented teachings and medical works associated with the physician Hippocrates. These teachings influenced western medicine for over a millennium (Marcum, 2008).
The biomedical model predominantly focuses on identifying the biological causation of illness or disease that is causing involuntary physical changes within the body such as bacteria or viruses and establishing the best course of treatment needed to cure it. The biomedical model specifically explores biological factors excluding psychological, environmental, and social influences although it is a reductionist approach it is still a dominant theoretical model to health and illness in western societies.
Defining the meaning of what constitutes as health, illness and disease is difficult as there is much controversy around these terms, however the world health organisation’s (WHO) definition is “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization. 1946). Illness has been defined by Pool and Geissler as a breakdown in the way a person thinks or feels and disease is defined as an abnormality with the body that can be diagnosed and …show more content…
Engel in a Science journal in 1977. This model challenged the idea that the mind and body are treated as separate entities. The biopsychosocial model introduced a person centred framework to clinical practise thru a multidimensional approach, by exploring the biological, psychological, and environmental factors into the treatment of illness and diseases. This approach strengthens the relationship between service user and clinician as the assessment allows the service user to do much of the talking as opposed to the clinician expecting a passive service user to be compliant. (Engel,
The biomedical model predominantly focuses on identifying the biological causation of illness or disease that is causing involuntary physical changes within the body such as bacteria or viruses and establishing the best course of treatment needed to cure it. The biomedical model specifically explores biological factors excluding psychological, environmental, and social influences although it is a reductionist approach it is still a dominant theoretical model to health and illness in western societies.
Defining the meaning of what constitutes as health, illness and disease is difficult as there is much controversy around these terms, however the world health organisation’s (WHO) definition is “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization. 1946). Illness has been defined by Pool and Geissler as a breakdown in the way a person thinks or feels and disease is defined as an abnormality with the body that can be diagnosed and …show more content…
Engel in a Science journal in 1977. This model challenged the idea that the mind and body are treated as separate entities. The biopsychosocial model introduced a person centred framework to clinical practise thru a multidimensional approach, by exploring the biological, psychological, and environmental factors into the treatment of illness and diseases. This approach strengthens the relationship between service user and clinician as the assessment allows the service user to do much of the talking as opposed to the clinician expecting a passive service user to be compliant. (Engel,