Is biomedical model out of date Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is biomedical model out of date - Essay Example It is based on 'the notion of the body as a machine, of disease as the consequence of breakdown of the machine, and of the doctor's task as repair of the machine.' (George Engel 1977). This approach has a serious shortcoming because by focusing on smaller parts of the body we lose the sight of patient as a human being. Also by considering health as proper functioning of organs, we are unable to deal with the phenomenon of healing as it is not only based on physical factors but on psychological factors of the human body. The concept of health and the concept of life are closely related. Around the globe, people follow different cultures and lifestyles. They are adapted to the different environment and slight change in the environment may lead to change in their health. Patterns of mortality and morbidity have changed shifting from a predominance of acute infectious diseases to a predominance of chronic and lifestyle-induced illness (US. Department of Health, Education and Welfare 1979 ). So here the ecological dimension is also considered while considering the concept of health. This contradicts the biomedical model.In the biomedical model, health is defined as the absence of disease. The World Health Organization defines health as ‘a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’. This clearly shows that the biomedical model fails to address the social and psychological issues and thus can be considered to be outdated.