NURS1003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Sustainable Development Goals, World Health Organization, Coronary Artery Disease
Topic 1 - Models of Health: Competing or Complementary?
The Biomedical Model of Health:
Biomedicine: “The conventional approach to medicine in Western societies, based on the
diagnosis and explanation of illness as a malfunction of the body’s biological mechanisms.
This approach underpins most health professions and health services, which focus on
treating individuals, and generally ignores the social origins of illness and its prevention.”
Organised healing system in the 17th century
René Descartes – key thinker in the early cultural establishment of biomedicine
Cartesian Dualism
o“a belief that the mind and body are separate entities. This assumption
underpins medical approaches that view disease in physical terms and thus
ignore the psychological and subjective aspects of illness”
Characteristics of Biomedicine
So, as a healing modality, Biomedicine’s focus is on the curing or treatment of the individual
physical body, via surgery, pharmaceuticals
or behaviour modification
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CASE STUDY 1: Epidemiology – John Snow 1854
John Snow (worked in public health) – cholera was water-born
o90 cases - tracking outbreak to water pump in Broad St. Soho, and a pioneer
in anaesthesia who attended Queen Victoria during labour.
oHad authorities remove the handle of the pump – less people died
oImportance of hygiene – Louis Pasteur
START OF SOCIAL MODEL OF HEALTH
Epidemiology: “The statistical study of patterns of disease in the population.
Originally focused on epidemics, or infectious diseases, it now covers non- infectious
conditions such as stroke and cancer”
In 1866 – another outbreak of cholera occurred but the towns were less effected
where there had been some improvements in public health
othus, reinforcing the link between hygiene and health
1875 local councils were responsible for ensuring:
oclean water
opaved streets
orubbish removal
osewers were built
oquality of housing was improved
oquality of food
sand and chalk not mixed into flour, bread or sugar
meat not dyed to look fresh
1866 Sanitary Act – all towns appoint inspectors to check water supplies and
drainage
1875 Artisan Dwelling Act – power given to local authorities to buy and demolish
slum housing
1875 Public Health Act – town appoint health and sanitary inspectors; local
authorities were given power to enforce regulations o water supplies and sanitation
Epidemiological transition: “a change in disease patterning in countries from
infectious diseases to chronic ‘lifestyle’ diseases” – over time, patterns of disease
change where countries are more able to prevent those initial disease that cause
problems.
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find more resources at oneclass.com
The World Health Organisation (1946)
Health: “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1946)
oholistic not just physical, includes mental and psychosocial health, and
social context
Focuses on the causes of the causes of health and illness
What are Human Rights?
Belongs to everyone equally
odue to “humanness”
ouniversal (all humans have them)
oInalienable (cannot be taken away)
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – United Nations
Post WWII for human rights
Major cultural and political change in the world
Characteristics of Social Model of Health
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Biomedicine: the conventional approach to medicine in western societies, based on the diagnosis and explanation of illness as a malfunction of the body"s biological mechanisms. This approach underpins most health professions and health services, which focus on treating individuals, and generally ignores the social origins of illness and its prevention. Organised healing system in the 17th century. Ren descartes key thinker in the early cultural establishment of biomedicine . Cartesian dualism: a belief that the mind and body are separate entities. This assumption underpins medical approaches that view disease in physical terms and thus ignore the psychological and subjective aspects of illness . So, as a healing modality, biomedicine"s focus is on the curing or treatment of the individual physical body, via surgery, pharmaceuticals or behaviour modification. Epidemiology: the statistical study of patterns of disease in the population. Originally focused on epidemics, or infectious diseases, it now covers non- infectious conditions such as stroke and cancer .
