9.2 Relationships between Patients and Professionals

Question 1

Describe the Functionalist Approach towards Healthcare

Answer 1

Falling ill is a socio-cultural experience. The patient does not have enough knowledge to treat themselves so are placed in a state of helplessness. Medicine restores people to good health and restores social equilibrium.

Question 2

Describe the sick role

Answer 2

When a person becomes ill they take on a different role in society.
They have a legitimate reason to be freed of social expectations and need attention from medical professionals.
However, the sick person should want to become well again and is expected to seek help themselves and cooperate with treatment

Question 3

Describe the doctor’s role in a functional approach

Answer 3

Doctor is there to treat sick people. They are characterised by norms and expectations. Doctors must benefit patients and keep confidentiality. In return they get access into a person’s life and health needs

Question 4

Give 3 critisms of the functional approach to healthcare

Answer 4

Sick role not applicable to chronic illness
Assumes patients are incompetent
Assumes beneficence of Medicine

Question 5

Describe the conflict approach to healthcare

Answer 5

The doctor holds beurocratic power
Doctors have a monopoly on defining health and illness which they can exploit. The patient has little choice but to submit to the doctor

Question 6

What does the Conflict Approach suggest happens to patient views?

Answer 6

Lay beliefs discounted
Normal processes become over-medicalised eg labour and birth
People more dependent on healthcare so lose self-reliance

Question 7

Give 2 criticisms of the Conflict Approach to Healthcare

Answer 7

Patients not always passive

Patients can seek to medicalise issues

Question 8

Describe the interactionist approach

Answer 8

Focusses on informal, unwritten rules during the meetings between doctors and patients, as well as, how they conduct themselves

Question 9

What is meant by the patient-centred model?

Answer 9

Take patient views more seriously in order to move away from a hierarchical system

Question 10

What is involved in the patient-centered approach?

Answer 10

Integrated history taking- physical and psychological
Doctor and patient involved in descision making
Patients contribute ICE