1. Rise of medical profession Flashcards
When was the GMC formed?
1858
What happened before GMC formation?
Doctors’ professional qualifications were local.
they were only licensed to practice in a particular area
What was the role of the GMC?
- take charge of medical education and professional registration;
- to publish a pharmacopoeia
When was the Merrison committee report?
1972 report
What was the Merrison committee report?
It was the restructuring of the disciplinary process
introduction of regulation affecting professionals with ‘serious mental or other ill health’
development of specialist and GP registration
What is medical dominance?
Refers to 3 things:
a) the profession’s authority to determine what counts as sickness,
b) medicines dominance over patients
c) its dominance over other health professions (e.g nursing) in terms of division of health related labor.
It does not exists in the same form in contemporary society as it did in the 1960’s.
What is the sick role?
- influential model of the Dr-patient relationship that casts illness as a form of temporary deviance from ones usual social role
- it positions the doctor as the legitimator of illness.
What are the critiques of the sick role?
Lack of attention to chronic illness-> How does the sick role position long term chronic conditions? E.g: chronic fatigue syndrome or long covid.
Does the model of the sick role give the doctor too much power? Can it still be relevant today?
How does it fit with patient centered care?
What is the Talcott Parson system (1951)?
- structural functionalist= society as a complex system, each institution plays a unique role or function in maintaining social stability.
- illness is seen as a threat to the smooth functioning of society
- Both doctor and patient both play a role - each has 2 obligations and two rights.
Doctors act as gatekeepers of sick role. They legitimate the sick role through naming and diagnosing illness.
State 2 obligations and rights by patient?
Obligations:
- demonstrate motivation to get well.
- seek technically competent medical help + cooperate with the clinician.
Rights
- Exemption from normal role responsibilities
- not to be held responsible for their sickness
How is illness understood in Parsons model?
Illness understood as temporary deviance within a society that is orientated towards work and productivity.
State 2 obligations and rights by doctor?
Obligations of doctor:
- to be technically competent.
- to be affectionately neutral and objective.
- For parsons this meant prioritizing the patients welfare and excluding personal or commercial considerations,
Rights of doctor-
- to be treated by society as a professional with a degree of independence.
- to be allowed access to taboo areas such as sick person’s body.
