Pros And Cons Of The Biomedical Model
Firstly the "biomedical model of health" (no hyphen) is sort of open to interpretation and not always defined the same way. And generally speaking a biopsychosocial model is almost universally used.
But when I think of a biomedical model is it practicing medicine to "fix" things with the view that medical problems are organic (physical) without considering anything else. Some times it is referred (in an insulting way) to as the biomechanical model. To some extent that is true since a biomedical model tends to view the human body as parts of a machine and when person is ill it means something has broken but once fixed the patient is restored to heath.
But medicine simply is not practiced like this because it is problematic, flawed, and …show more content…
Here is a hypothetical situation- a man visits his doctor complaining of lower back pain. The doctor orders tests- they are all fine. The patient has a history of insomnia and depression. There is a significant family history of insomnia, anxiety, depression, and suicide. No personal history of substance abuse but both of his grandfathers (now dead) were barbiturate addicts. Despite the fact that imaging shows no sign of problems (but his physical exam STRONGLY indicates there is pain. The doctor does several invasive procedures. All conservative pharmacological treatment is tried (gabapentin, Lyrica, tramadol, ketoporfen, acetaminophen, cyclobenzaprine, Soma, Cymbalta, amitriptyline) and referral to pain management is made. [Note: in reality many people with very real pain will have normal imaging] Once there Norco (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) 5/325 1 tab four times a day is prescribed. It provides a rapid improvement but over four months his medications have become OxyContin 30 mg twice daily, 4 mg of hydromorphone for break threw pain, 100 mg of Celebrex daily, 3 mg of Lunesta, Soma 350 mg four times a day, and clonazepam 2 mg twice daily. With that he reports (at least for now) he that is pain is only minimal. However he is more and more disabled and has lost much of his function.
So even as doctors try to control the pain and have used all basic medical things he is not better. Now if he is evaluated by a psychiatrist,
But when I think of a biomedical model is it practicing medicine to "fix" things with the view that medical problems are organic (physical) without considering anything else. Some times it is referred (in an insulting way) to as the biomechanical model. To some extent that is true since a biomedical model tends to view the human body as parts of a machine and when person is ill it means something has broken but once fixed the patient is restored to heath.
But medicine simply is not practiced like this because it is problematic, flawed, and …show more content…
Here is a hypothetical situation- a man visits his doctor complaining of lower back pain. The doctor orders tests- they are all fine. The patient has a history of insomnia and depression. There is a significant family history of insomnia, anxiety, depression, and suicide. No personal history of substance abuse but both of his grandfathers (now dead) were barbiturate addicts. Despite the fact that imaging shows no sign of problems (but his physical exam STRONGLY indicates there is pain. The doctor does several invasive procedures. All conservative pharmacological treatment is tried (gabapentin, Lyrica, tramadol, ketoporfen, acetaminophen, cyclobenzaprine, Soma, Cymbalta, amitriptyline) and referral to pain management is made. [Note: in reality many people with very real pain will have normal imaging] Once there Norco (hydrocodone/acetaminophen) 5/325 1 tab four times a day is prescribed. It provides a rapid improvement but over four months his medications have become OxyContin 30 mg twice daily, 4 mg of hydromorphone for break threw pain, 100 mg of Celebrex daily, 3 mg of Lunesta, Soma 350 mg four times a day, and clonazepam 2 mg twice daily. With that he reports (at least for now) he that is pain is only minimal. However he is more and more disabled and has lost much of his function.
So even as doctors try to control the pain and have used all basic medical things he is not better. Now if he is evaluated by a psychiatrist,