1. BTEC Health and Social Care L3
Unit 7 – Sociological perspectives
Lesson 3

2. Biomedical and Sociomedical … A visual introduction

3. Biomedical Model

4. Biomedical model, an introduction…
Linked to the medical profession – qualified experts diagnose and treat illnesses/health concerns
Biological science explains disease and illness
It focuses on CURE, rather than prevention

5. BIOMEDICAL MODEL
A simple analogy
The body is like a MACHINE – eg. a car – when the engine BREAKS DOWN it needs ‘FIXING’
Link to a perspective?

7. BIOMEDICAL MODEL
This approach encourages the service user to be DEPENDENT on the service provider – how?
The patient takes on a ‘SICK ROLE’ – he/she gives responsibility to others to look after his/her health (evaluation?)

8. Sick role can lead to powerlessness and vulnerability (disempowerment)
evaluation
Sick role can lead to powerlessness and vulnerability (disempowerment)

10. Further evaluation
Most effective with short term illness where cause can be identified and treatment can be administered
Eg?
Least effective with chronic illnesses (long- term, managed illnesses) that cannot be cured

11. Tend not to focus on environmental and social factors that may have led to ill-health
Such as?

12. Activity
Do you believe you are in the safe hands of doctors and other medical professionals?
Personal experiences?
Research ‘medical negligence’ or
‘Examples of medical malpractice cases’

13. Other criticisms
FEMINISTS argue that the biomedical approach to health leads to the MEDICALISATION of childbirth/labour
eg. it is treated like an illness, many interventions are unnecessary, such as?

14. www.amedicalmalpracticenewsletter.com/html/examples. html
Other criticisms
ILLICH a radical theorist argues that modern medicine creates disease/illness
eg.???
He called this IATROGENESIS
Using the computers research the concept of IATROGENESIS.
Research ‘medical negligence’ or ‘examples of medical malpractice cases’
html

15. SOCIAL MODEL OF HEALTH
Key points

16. Social Model of health
Mainly links to the positive definition of health
Give an example of someone who is healthy and unhealthy using this definition
It challenges the bio medical model

17. SOCIAL MODEL This model is linked to the WHO definition of health.
It addresses the ORIGINS of ill health and takes a HOLISTIC approach.
It stresses PREVENTION over CURE

18. SOCIAL MODEL
It believes that there is more to ill-health than just physical symptoms
This model links to EMPOWERING the individual to take responsibility for his/her own health

19. Social model
Practitioners recognise that health differs between individuals and social groups in terms of:
Behaviour
Culture
Material factors
Structural factors

20. How can these factors effect health ?
Behaviour
Culture
Material factors
Structural factors

21. BEHAVIOUR

22. CULTURE

23. MATERIAL FACTORS

24. STRUCTURAL FACTORS

25. Perspective links?

26. Link to CONFLICT theories
Ill-health can be explained by inequalities in society
Eg?
How is the capitalist system bad for our health?
How is patriarchy bad for our health?

27. SOCIAL MODEL - EVALUATION
Most of us derive some benefit from cures provided from scientific medicine
Any other criticisms??

28. Seen to be intrusive
Time-consuming

29. Assignment 1 task 3 M1 Write an essay:
Outline and assess the biomedical and social models of health

30. STRUCTURE
Introduce the 2 models of health and link to the 2 definitions
Describe the biomedical approach with examples
Evaluate this model
Describe the social model of health with examples
Evaluate it
Conclusion