Compare & contrast medical model & social model of health & well-being

1.2 Compare and contrast the medical model and social model of health and well-being

Two main approaches to health, illness, and well-being are the medical model and the social model. The medical model is based on biological factors and professional care, whereas the social model examines environmental and social influences that determine holistic health. This comparison will look at the definitions of each model, features, strengths, limitations, and practical application.

Defining the Medical Model  

The medical model views the body as a machine that may fail. Health is regarded as the lack of illness. Physicians make diagnoses through tests, including scans or blood tests, and then prescribe medications, surgery, or therapy to treat symptoms or underlying issues. As an illustration, insulin is used to treat diabetes, and antidepressants are used to treat depression.

Defining the Social Model  

The social model broadens health to encompass physical, mental, and social well-being. It highlights the influence of housing, employment, education, and social connections. The policy, community empowerment, and elimination of barriers are encouraged to promote prevention. An example is diabetes, which is not only biologically related but also associated with lack of access to healthy food, sedentary lifestyles, and poverty, and therefore solutions are aimed at broader social transformation.

Key Similarities  

Both models are designed to enhance health outcomes and recognise the impact of illness on individuals. They tend to collaborate, e.g., taking medication and pollution-reduction measures to cure asthma. 

Key Differences

Aspect	Medical Model	Social Model
Focus	Biological/physical causes and cure	Social, economic, and environmental factors
Health Definition	Absence of disease	Complete physical/mental/social well-being
Causes of Illness	Internal (e.g., pathogens, genetics)	External (e.g., poverty, discrimination)
Individual Role	Passive recipient of treatment	Active participant in health decisions
Interventions	Clinical (drugs, surgery)	Preventive (policies, education)
Disability View	Personal defect to fix	Societal barriers to remove

 

Both provide evidence-based care: the medical model provides acute solutions, and the social model helps prevent it in the long term.

Medical Model Strengths

The medical model provides evidence-based emergency care in a fast manner. It has led to innovations such as vaccines and transplants that increase life expectancy. Crises like infections or injuries require clear diagnostics and symptom relief, and scientific rigour ensures effective treatment.

Weaknesses of the Medical Model  

This method may overlook the holistic needs, and patients are treated as a list of symptoms and not as individuals. It tends to ignore social determinants that lead to chronic illnesses such as obesity. High dependency on medical care may lead to dependency and less emphasis on prevention and empowerment.

Advantages of the Social Model

The social model addresses the underlying causes and minimises inequality by engaging in activities like anti-smoking campaigns and the provision of accessible environments. It gives individuals the strength to develop resilience and adopt healthier lifestyles by changing policies and community initiatives.

Weaknesses of the Social Model

Social change is gradual, and thus it does not have the urgency of acute problems. Biological factors might be given less focus, and success might be more difficult to measure than clinical outcomes.

Application and Integration

The medical model prevails in health and social care in cases of emergency, such as a heart attack, whereas the social model informs the public health programmes, such as the promotion of exercise. A combination of the two, i.e., chemotherapy to treat cancer and emotional and workplace support, is more effective. To deliver patient-centred care, practitioners need to be aware of the context and integrate the models.

The combination of the medical and social model in a balanced manner enhances the effectiveness of care by considering both the biological and societal aspects to attain the real well-being.

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