Biomedical Model

Biomedical Model

Used by physicians to diagnose disease
Considers Health to be the absence of disease pain or defect
Focuses purely on physical and biological causes of diseases
Curative approach - Main function to offer remedy and cure with medical intervention
Searches for biological causes of pathological symptoms
Each disease has a specific causal agent
Biomedicine - Also referred to as 'Allopathy, conventional medicine or modern western scientific medicine
Disadvantage: Approach is limited as it doesn't take into account psychological, environmental or social influences
1. Does not consider the fact that individual differences (personality, cognition, social support, cultural beliefs) cause people to respond differently to underlying diseases
Reductionist Approach - Believes that mind, body & behaviour can all be reduced to biochemical activity
Advantage: Broadly applied in most countries
Identifies, treats and attempts to restore health
Disadvantages: Very Costly
Disadvantage: Does not focus on prevention of Health
Dualist Approach - Mind and bodywork separately and disease arises from cellular and physiological processes
Individual is not responsible for their health

Resource summary

	Created by Emma Lamont almost 11 years ago