Biopsychosocial Model & Social Context Flashcards
Outline the features of the biomedical model of illness
illness caused by physiological change/pathogens
individuals are not not to blame for their illness
medical profession are responsible for treatment
little role for social and psychological considerations for determinants of health
Outline the features of the biopsychosocial model of illness
illness is caused by a combination of psychological, social and biological factors
patients are responsible for some aspects of their health as illness is also a consequence of lifesytle choices
patients should be treated as a whole - rather than a disease that reques physical treatment
Give an example of a psycholigical, social and biological factor that could contribute to a patinets health and illness accoridng to the biopsychosocial model
Psychological
(emotion, personality type)
Social
(social class, employment)
Biological
(genetics, pathogens)
How do lay beliefs arise?
drawn from cultural, social, religious, as well as personal knoweldge and expereinces
Outline the following perceptions of health:
Negative Definition
Functional Deinition
Positive Definition
Negative Definition
- absence of illness
Functional Deinition
- health is the ability to do certain things
Positive Definition
- health is a state of wellbeing and fitness
Why is it important to acknowledge the interplay between lay and medical beliefs?
public are surrounded by professional concepts so these are likely to play a part in the the beliefs developed by inidiividuals
HOWEVER
these professional concepts are made sence of, in light of individuals everyday expereinces / context
What concept is depicted by the symptom or illness iceberg?
for many symptoms patients did not seek advice from a healthcare professional
many symptoms are managed by individuals using OTC remedies
only a small percentage of symptoms (12%) resulted in a consultation with a primary care health care professional
What is lay referral?
the chain of people an individual has often contacted for advice before they sought help from a health care professional
e.g. often ask, family or friends before seeing GP
Why is it important to understand the impact lay referral can have on the treatemnt of patients presenting to health care providers?
explains a delay in seeking help
conider alternative therapies that may have been trialed (potential for interaction)
can help to educate population about conditions that should not have delayed presentation or require early HCP assessment
What two methods are commonly used to measure socio-economic status?
Individual Occupation
Geographical Location
What is the relationship between socio-economic status and health?
those in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to have more frequent and longer periods of poor health
How does the materialist explanation from the black report report the cause of inequalties in healthcare?
inequalities in health arise due to a differential access to material resources
people lack a choice in their exposure to hazards and adverse conditions e.g. poor housing conditions, poor working environments, low control over their occupation
How can the behavioural-cultural explanation be used to account for health inequalities?
ill health is due to people’s choices/decisions
people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likley to engage in health-damaging behaviours
(note that people may not truely have a ‘choice’ if they are constrained by resources)
Which types are health services are people from lower socio-economic groups more likely to have contact with and which are they likely to utilise less?
Higher Use Of
GP
Emergency Services
Under-use Of
Preventative Services
(e.g. screening)
Specialist Services
(e.g. cancer treatments)
What does the social selection explanation determine is the cause of health on social status?
poor health causes people to move down social hierachy
