Biopsychosocial model of medicine
George Engel proposed the biopsychosocial model in what soon became a landmark event for understanding medicine as a science.1,2* The model prompted a revolution in medical thinking by providing an argument and rationale that better linked medicine to science. Following the revolution in physics at the turn of the last century, science gradually moved away from previous linear, cause–effect thinking. To that point, understandably, medicine’s guiding biomedical model focused only on diseases. Beginning with Engel’s model, medical thinking has slowly evolved by incorporating and integrating psychosocial components. The biopsychosocial model stems from what many consider the modern articulation of science, general system theory.3–5 Engel’s model prescribes a fundamentally different path from the still-guiding biomedical model: to be scientific, a model for medicine must include the psychosocial dimensions (personal, emotional, family, community) in addition to the biological aspects (diseases) of all patients. By integrating these multiple, interacting components of the subject of our science—the patient—we also become more humanistic. We link science and humanism.
Biopsychosocial model of medicine. All written assignments will use APA style and must include references. Resource: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
1. Short Paper: Students should gain a background in the biopsychosocial model of medicine and then pose a question of interest.
• Possible topics include: the biopsychosocial model of medicine as it applies to the special needs of women, children, elders, adolescents, sexual issues, occupational issues, racial and ethnicity issues, integration of care of patient family members, mental illness, catastrophic illness, life changes, and chronic illness, illness related to poverty, substance abuse, disability, and end of life.
• Describe how this issue might be overlooked in a traditional, biomedical interview model, and then describe how the biopsychosocial medical interview can be used to address the special need.
• Basically compare and contrast the models of biopsychosocial and biomedical approaches using a question of interest to facilitate the process.
• This paper should be no more than 5 pages, not including a title page, and contain a minimum of 5 references.