The Biopsychosocial Model Case Study

As a young girl, I simply thought that doctors just treated diseases. When one was sick they went to the doctor, the doctor diagnosed them and gave them a suitable treatment. However, as a first year medical student I now know that this is not the case. In modern society doctors don’t treat diseases- they treat the people who have the diseases. It’s not just medical students or people in the medical profession who know this- modern society as a whole has come to accept the fact that doctors are no longer medical scientists but carers who put their patients needs first and not the disease or illness they may have. This evolution in thinking also means that there must be an evolution in practice. Doctors no longer simply diagnose and prescribe-

(Borrel-Carrio,Suchman,Epstein, 2004). This model was devised by George L. Engel in 1977 and is now used worldwide by physicians instead of the biomedical model.(Wise Geek,2014) With the biomedical model, physicians simply considered the pathology, physiology and biochemistry of a disease before giving a diagnosis. Doctors never discussed treatment options with patients, instead giving them one treatment option which patients were expected to accept. This model was devised in the mid-nineteenth century and was used widely by physicians until the biopsychosocial model came into existence. There is no doubt that the biopsychosocial model is by far superior to the biomedical model, as it takes the patients needs into account. Engel devised the model as he “questioned the dominance of the biomedical model” (Wise Geek,2014). Engel’s model became the preferred model to use in healthcare as many physicians felt that the biomedical model didn’t take into account all the factors which affected a patient’s health. The biopsychosocial model is an extremely useful tool to physicians but it can also be argued that since its birth doctors have a more difficult job. With the old model, doctors simply had to consider the scientific matters. Now, doctors must probe deeper into a patient’s background. This may cause trouble for the physician as many patients complain when doctors want to take an extremely detailed history. Some patients fail to realise that this step is necessary for the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis. Another reason why so many people praise the biopsychosocial model is because it allows the doctor and patient to work as a team when discussing outcome and treatment options. However, this can also be quite difficult for a physician if a patient decides against a treatment option which the doctor feels is best. At the end of the day, doctors are only human and it