Biomedical and Social Models of Health

Biomedical and Social Models of Health The bio-medical and social models of health offer different views of health and disease. Outline the main characteristics of each model and assess their strengths and weakness in explaining health and disease. Health can be viewed as the state of being fit and well, as well as a state of mental sanity (WHO 2005). According to Blaxter (2004), if a person can perform daily functions such as going to work, taking care of the household, etc he/she is healthy. Many studies have found that lay people define health as the absence of illness (Williams 1983, Calnan 1987, Hughner Kleine 2004). However being healthy means different things to different people as much have been said and written about peoples varying concepts of health. Some lay perceptions are based on pragmatism where health is regarded as a relative phenomenon, experienced and evaluated according to what an individual finds reasonable to expect, given their age, medical condition and social status. For them being healthy, may just mean not having a health problem, which interferes with their everyday lives (Bury 2005). Some taxonomies have evolved in attempt to define health. In this work, health has been considered from the perspective of biomedical and social models. According to Baggott (2004) the biomedical model of health looks at individual physical functioning and describes bad health as the presence of disease and illness symptoms as a result of physical cause such as injury or infections and attempts to ignore social and psychological factors. Baggott (2004) states that the features of biomedical model rest mainly on biomedical changes, which can be defined, measured and isolated. In effect this is directed towards the dysfunction of the organs and tissues of the body rather than the overall condition of the patient. Biomedical treatments often involve the removal of the cause, for instance the virus or bacteria. The biomedical model is based on the belief that there is always a cure and the idea that illness is temporary, episodic and a physical condition. The basic values of the biomedical model of health consist of the theory called doctrine of specific aetiology, which is the idea that all disease is caused by theoretically identifiable agents such as germs, bacteria or parasites (Naidoo Wills 2004). The advantage of biomedical model shows disease as representing a major public health problem facing our society. This model sees disease state as an issue that needs to be treated, and that disease can be readily diagnosed and quantified (Ewles Simnett 2003 2010). This approach appears narrow, negative and reductionist. In an extreme case, it implies that people with disabilities are unhealthy and that health is only about the absence of morbidity. Further, this model is limited in its approach by its omission of a time dimension. Modern biomedicine rests upon two major developments, both of which remain influential to this day. It is first important to consider the Cartesian revolution after the seventh century French philosophy Rene Descarts. The Cartesian revolution encouraged the idea that the body and mind are independent or not closely related (NRC 1985). In this mechanistic view, the body is perceived to function like a machine with its various parts individually treatable, and those that treat them considered engineers (Naidoo Wills 2004). Biomedical also concentrates on the individual unlike the social model. Biological model adopts a negative perspective on health as it views health more in terms of the absence of disease than the possession of healthy attributes (Baggott 2004). This model stresses the importance of advancing technology both in the diagnosis and treatment of disease, an approach that has undoubtedly improved both the knowledge and understanding of numerous diseases. Biomedical model has led to the improvements in the treatment of patients, which has favoured gains both in the length and quality of life of people. Despite the aforementioned feats, the biomedical model has received considerable criticism, as many writers have argued that it was inappropriate to modern, complex health problems (Inglis 1981). The medical model, in terms of specific health risks, does not encompass all of what health means to an individual. For instance, a physician speculating on what, based on current knowledge at the time, would be the composite picture of an individual with a low risk of developing coronary artery disease. Further criticisms of this theory focused principally on the suggestion that it over simplified biological processes now known to be very intricate. For many diseases there are multiple and interacting causes. Moreover, such a theory looks only to the agent of disease, and ignores the host, and the possibilities of biological adaptation. The theory is much more easily applicable to acute conditions than to chronic ill-health and is difficult to apply to mental disorders. The second theory of the biomedical model is called the assumption of generic disease. This is when each disease has its own distinguishing features that are universal, at least within the human species. These will be the same in different cultures and at different times, unless the disease-producing agent itself changes. Criticisms of this focus on the rather obvious point that diseases are differently defined in different cultures and that medical definitions of disease have clearly changed over time. Each new advance in knowledge of physiology and each new wave of technology have added new definitions of ill health to the accepted canon. Despite the doctrine of specific aetiology many conditions, which are still only symptoms or syndromes, are recognized within medicine as diseases. Generally, it can be seen that what is viewed as illness in any particular society and at any historical time depends on cultural norms and social values (Naidoo Wills 2004). Thus new diagnoses such as alcohol, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndromes are born through an interaction of new knowledge about both their possible causes and how they might possibly be helped. As a definition of disease what doctors treat has obvious problems, however, it implies that no one can be ill until recognised as such and leaves the concept at the mercy of idiosyncratic individual medical decisions. The third theory is the scientific biomedicine, which accepts the model of all ill-health as deviation from the normal especially the normal range of measurable biological variables. There is an association with the definition of health as equilibrium and disease as a disturbance of the bodys function, with the purpose of medical technology the restoration to equilibrium. The immune or endocrine, or neuropsychological systems attempt to restore the normal and the purpose of medicine is to instigate or assist this process. But medical science now realizes that the human organism has no set pattern for structure and function, and it is often unclear where normal variation ends and abnormality begins. The fourth theory of medical model is based on the principles of scientific neutrality. Medicine adopts not only the rational method of science but also its values objectivity and neutrality on the part of the observer, and the view of the human organism as simply the product of biological processes over which the individuals themselves have little control. The reply to this is that the practice of medicine, whatever its theory, is always deeply embedded in the larger society. It cannot be neutral, for there are wider social, political and cultural forces dictating how it does its work and how the unhealthy are dealt with. Biomedicine now admits multiple and interactive causes, and that the whole may be more than simply the sum of the parts. Social and psychological causes of ill health- stress, unhappiness, life events- are admitted as agents of disease or contributing factors, but they are not themselves defined as ill health. Modern medicine has moved on, to incorporate elaborate ideas about the various and interrelated causes of ill health. Studies of the way in which doctors make diagnoses demonstrate this, while at the same time lip service is paid to the importance of the social. Moreover, even when social and psychological influences are admitted this is still a very negatively oriented approach to health. The social model came about in mid twentieth century when there was increasing dissatisfaction with the dominant model of health offered by biomedicine. The preoccupation with disease and illness made it less able to deal with any positive concept of health. The ideology, which viewed the individual in mechanistic ways justified ever-increasing use of medical technologies, precluding the exercise of other therapies and diminishing the importance attached to positive health or preventive medicine. Since the last decade medical professional practice has become a major threat to health. Depression, infection, disability and other specific estrogenic disease now cause more suffering than all accidents from traffic or industry by transforming pain, illness and death from a personal challenge into a technical problem, medical practice expropriates the potential of people to deal with their human condition in an autonomous way and becomes the sources of a new kind of un-health. The emphasis on health as simply the absence of disease encouraged thinking about only two categories the health and the disease. As we are meant to believe that science can produce a utopia of disease free and lengthy life meaning scientists only look for their magic bullet. There is a feeling that the most angry critiques of the biomedical model was wilfully ignoring the contributions of modern science to human welfare. But claims to the unique truth of biomedicine were weakened by some loss of faith in sci entific objectivity and a distrust of a Frankenstein technology that could run out of control, and this was part of the modern movement towards a new model usually called social health. Social model of health imbibes social constructs and relativity in its approach to health. It tends to define and redefine health in a continuous manner, and views health differently between individuals, groups, times and cultures. Some supporters of Social model have written extensively about sickness having a role to play in various societies (Parsons 1951) as this helps to determine the structure of and functionality of the society. The concept of social health incorporates many differences of emphasis though it has to be noted that it is more than simply the recognition that social factors such as poverty have to be included in a model of the causes of ill health. The social model is a different construction, locating biological processes within their social contexts and considering the person as a whole rather than a series of distinct bodily systems. The social model is organic and holistic rather than reductionist mechanical method. A mechanical system acts according to its programming, its instructions, or natural laws. The social model allows for mental as well as physical health and wider sphere of taking part in active life. This model also allows for more subtle discrimination of individuals who succeed in leading productive lives in spite of a physical impairment. Another disadvantage of this model is that the conception runs the risk of excessive breadth and of incorporating all of life. Thus they do not distinguish clearly between the state of being healthy the consequences of being healthy nor do they distinguish between health and the determinants of health (Ewles Simnett 2010). The medical profession is a social institution, which cannot be separated from the values, pressures and influences of the society in which it practices. As health has been defined in various ways, most part rests on the ideas of the normal and of seeing health as opposed to disease or illness. In practice, the definition of health has always been the territory of those who define its opposite: healers, or practitioners of medicine as a science or a body of practical knowledge. Since medicine is one of societys major systems, it is obvious that it is these definitions which will be institutionalised and embodied in law and administration, though the extent to which lay models adds to or diverge from this body of ideas is significant to the individual in respect of their perception of health. Whilst the medical model built on the Cartesian theory of the body as a machine disorders can be corrected by repairing or replacing parts of the organism, holism describes the view that the whole cannot be explained simply by the sum of the parts, just as healthiness cannot be explained by a list of risk factors. Every disturbance in a system involves the whole system. Human beings are living networks formed by cognitive processes, values, and purposive intentions, not simply interacting components (Blaxter 2004). The development of this social model has been accompanied among the public, by a growing enthusiasm for alternative therapies, which tend to rest on holistic theories. Gradually, these too have been integrated to some extent into the mainstream model. In order to have a comprehensive understanding of health, one has to look at the phenomenon from various premise of health definition, as just one aspect may not provide complete answer to the enquiry about our health at a particular given time. It is therefore important to consider the various aspects of health when making judgement and decision about the health status of an individual. In summary, the biomedical model of health is obviously most easily defined by the absence of disease, though the model is also compatible with more positive definitions in terms of equilibrium of normal functioning. In the social model health is a positive state of wholeness and well being associated with but not entirely explained by the absence of disease, illness or physical and mental impairment. The concepts of health and ill-health are unbalanced. The absence of disease may be part of health but health is more than the absence of disease.

Evidence Based Practice Aseptic Technique for Peripheral IV Insertion Essay

The significance of asepsis in the intravenous IV therapy is integral in the modern patient care because of the increased patients number requiring IV therapy due to changes in patterns of prescription and the today’s illnesses which has acute nature (Bofah et al, 2012). Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation according to Bofah et al (2012), is a procedure in which patent’s skin is punctured with a needle allowing a device to be temporarily inserted into the hand or forearm veins in administering intravenous medications or fluids, although other body sites can be used. It is vital to use intravenous drugs in the management of the patients who are hospitalized. The infections linked to the intravenous therapy may affect the blood stream or the skin around the insertion site of the catheter (Bofah et al, 2012). For this reason, Bofah et al (2012) suggested that general infection control and universal precautions measures need to be taken into considerations when undertaking a clinical procedure. However, specific measures need to be taken into consideration when administering intravenous therapy especially those in the home setting and the vulnerable patients. Kampf et al (2013) conducted an observational intervention study on â€Å"Improving Patient Safety during the Insertion of Peripheral Venous Catheters. The aim of the study was to determine the application of specific steps for peripheral venous catheters insertion in clinical practice and implementation of a multimodal intervention with an aim of improving both optimum order and compliance with the steps. Results indicated that 202 insertions were observed during the intervention period and 207 in the control period (Kampf et al, 2013). Compliance significantly improved for 4 to 5 steps that are 11.6% – 57.9% for disinfection of hand before contact with the patient (Kampf et al, 2013). Skin antisepsis of the site of puncture compliance was high after and before intervention (99% after and 99.5% before). Specific steps performance in the correct order also improved, which is from 7.7% – 68.6% when 3-5 steps were done. From the description of the intervention by partici pants, 46.8% said it was helpful, 46.8% as neutral and 6.4% as disruption (Kampf et al, 2013). This indicated that a multimodal strategy, of improving compliance with peripheral venous safety steps of insertion of catheter and optimum procedure performance, was effective and regarded as helpful by the health professionals. Bofah et al (2012) conducted a study, â€Å"Peripheral Intravenous Therapy: Focus on Asepsis Systematic Literature Review.† The aim of the study was to describe the principles that are involved in the preparation, management and administration of peripheral IV in the clinical setting. Systematic literature review was conducted on the published studies describing asepsis principles involved in the preparation, management and administration of peripheral IV in the clinical setting from the year 2005 to 2012 January (Bofah et al, 2012). The findings from the 1135 publications suggested that the healthcare professionals should consider the patients always as being susceptible. Additionally, practices of standardizations will help in a reduction of infection risk. Lastly, all healthcare professionals must be educated to ensure procedures and practices are consistent and are adhered to with the day-to-day practices (Bofah et al, 2012). O’Grady et al (2011) developed guidelines for healthcare workers who insert the intravascular catheters and also for the people responsible for control and surveillance of infections in outpatient, hospital and healthcare hoe settings. The report was compiled by members of professional organizations that represent the disciplines of infectious diseases, critical care medicine, surgery, healthcare infection control, interventional radiology, anesthesiology, pediatric medicine, pulmonary medicine and nursing (O’Grady et al, 2011). The guidelines are to provide recommendations that are evidenced based for preventing infections related to intravascular catheter. The major areas of emphasis by the guidelines include (1) training and educating healthcare workers who maintain or insert catheters;(2)using sterile barrier precautions maximally during central insertion of venous catheter; (3) using alcohol with >0.5% chlorhexidine skin preparation for antisepsis; (4) avoiding the routine central venous catheters replacements as a strategy of preventing infection;(5)using sponge dressing that are impregnated by chlorhexidine and short-term central venous catheters that are impregnated by antibiotic/antiseptic if the infection rate is not reducing despite adherence to strategy 1 to 4 (O’Grady et al, 2011). The strengths of the current research of Kampf et al (2013)was that the methodology of observations applied provided direct access to the variables under consideration rather than relying on some form of self-report like asking questions in questionnaires and interviews. The strength of Bofah et al (2012) was that it used 1135 publications that were a good sample size. The guidelines recommended by O’Grady et al (2011) had a strength of the input from different professional bodies and expert hence reliable. The weaknesses of Kampf et al (2013) research is that might be having observer bias hence undermined its validity and reliability. The weakness of Bofah et al (2012) was that systemic review was not done under a set of guideline and standards hence could be unreliable. The weakness of O’Grady et al (2011) is that with the presence of many professionals, coming to a common ground in scenarios of disagreements affects the validity of the recommendations and guidelines. Future research should address pediatric infections and resistant organisms in Aseptic Technique for peripheral IV insertion. There are much evidence supporting current nursing practice on different techniques of IV insertion including aseptic technique. Moreover, guidelines have been provided by a collection of all relevant heath professional and organizations. In addition, the current nursing practice is the best since it is widely used, it is supported by many different researches, and it is standardized. Meaning all healthcare professionals have a standard procedure of practicing as elaborated in the guidelines agreed by all professionals and healthcare bodies. Conclusion In conclusion, the essay discussed the evidenced based Aseptic Technique for peripheral IV insertion. The essay defined Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation before detailing what the paper will analyze. Three studies has been analyzed, and their strengths and weakness discussed. The paper then provided an area for future research before elaborating that there is enough evidence supporting current nursing practice. Lastly, the paper elaborated why the current practice is the best practice. References Bofah, Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu, Josephine Adu-tutu, & Lay, Albert Alexander. (2012). Peripheral intravenous therapy : focus on asepsis : Systematic literature review. Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD8QFjAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theseus.fi%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F10024%2F42656%2FBofah_Josephine.pdf%3Fsequence%3D1&ei=hJ_AVKnGHaTV7QagyoCwBA&usg=AFQjCNHQcdW7lEuoXASBbH-A3ZNVZ7-nvQ&sig2=hCJEBzRL69lu8TtTSNFDHQ&bvm=bv.83829542,d.ZGUKampf, G., Reise, G., James, C., Gittelbauer, K., Gosch, J., & Alpers, B. (January 01, 2013). Improving patient safety during insertion of peripheral venous catheters: an observational intervention study. Gms Hygiene and Infection Control, 8, 2.). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3850230/O’Grady, N. P., Alexander, M., Burns, L. A., Dellinger, E. P., Garland, J., Heard, S. O., Lipsett, P. A., †¦ Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) (Appendix 1). (January 01, 2011). Summary of recommendations: Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-related Infections. Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 52, 9, 1087-99. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3106267/ Source document

Corporate Social Responsibility And Corporate Ethics

Introduction Coexistence in a globalized world with constant changes does not really allow a business to survive alone. The fact that your business exists in the environment, the responsibility of this depends on many stakeholders, such as local communities, customers, employees and suppliers. On the other hand the way the products are produced and manufactured has a significant impact on the environment. In this context the concept of corporate social responsibility has great relevance for the survival of any business. In corporate terms, social responsibilities promote companies to maintain a closer relationship with the public of their interest and on the other hand, good business practices enjoy better benefits in relation to other†¦show more content†¦Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), a German philosopher was an enormous supporter of this sort of thinking. He believed in acting according to the strict obedience to values, regardless of the consequences. Ethical choices taken with this poin t of view also had to be universally valid to other kinds of similar situations. The impact of such moral philosophy is predominant in the Australian Association of Social Worker’s (AASW), Code of Ethics which prioritizes principles such as ‘respect for persons’ and client self-determination (Banks, 2004). â€Å"Bentham’s (1789) ethical philosophy was founded on the assumption that it is the consequences of human actions that count in evaluating the merit and that the kind of consequences that matters for human happiness is just the achievement of happiness and avoidance of pain. The principles of utility, then defines the meaning of the moral obligation by reference to the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people who affected by performance of the action†. 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Why Did Our Ancestors Change Their Names

When we think of tracing our family tree, we often envision following our family surname back thousands of years to the first bearer of the name. In our neat and tidy scenario, each successive generation bears the same surname - spelled exactly the same way in each and every record - until we reach the dawn of man. In reality, however, the last name we bear today may have existed in its present form for only a few generations. For the majority of human existence, people were identified only by a single name. Hereditary surnames (a surname passed down from a father to his children) were not in common use in the British Isles prior to about the fourteenth century. Patronymic naming practices, in which a childs surname was formed from the given name of his father, were in use throughout much of Scandinavia well into the 19th century—resulting in each generation of a family bearing a different last name. Why Did Our Ancestors Change Their Names? Tracing our ancestors back to the point where they first acquired surnames can also be a challenge as a names spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over centuries. This makes it unlikely that our present family surname is the same as the original surname bestowed on our long distant ancestor. The current family surname may be a slight spelling variation of the original name, an anglicized version, or even a completely different surname.   Illiteracy  - The further back we take our research, the more likely we are to encounter ancestors who couldnt read and write. Many didnt even know how their own names were spelled, only how to pronounce them. When they gave their names to clerks, census enumerators, clergymen, or other officials, that person wrote the name the way that it sounded to him. Even if our ancestor did have the spelling memorized, the person recording the information may not have bothered to ask how it should be spelled. Example:  The German HEYER has become HYER, HIER, HIRE, HIRES, HIERS, etc. Simplification  - Immigrants, upon arrival in a new country, often found that their name was difficult for others to spell or pronounce. In order to better fit in, many chose to simplify the spelling or otherwise alter their name to relate it more closely to the language and pronunciations of their new country. Example:  Yhe German ALBRECHT becomes ALBRIGHT, or the Swedish JONSSON becomes JOHNSON. Necessity - Immigrants from countries with alphabets other than Latin had to transliterate them, producing many variations on the same name. Example:  The Ukranian surname ZHADKOWSKYI became ZADKOWSKI. Mispronunciation  - Letters within a surname were often confused due to verbal miscommunication or heavy accents. Example: Depending upon the accents of both the person speaking the name and the person writing it down, KROEBER could become GROVER or CROWER. Desire to Fit In - Many immigrants changed their names in some way to assimilate into their new country and culture. A common choice was to translate the meaning of their surname into the new language. Example:  The Irish surname BREHONY became JUDGE. Desire to Break with the Past - Emigration was sometimes prompted in one way or another by a desire to break with or escape the past. For some immigrants, this included ridding themselves of anything, including their name, which reminded them of an unhappy life in the old country. Example: Mexicans fleeing to America to escape the revolution often changed their name. Dislike of Surname - People forced by governments to adopt surnames which were not a part of their culture or were not of their choosing would often shed themselves of such names at the first opportunity. Example: Armenians forced by the Turkish government to give up their traditional surnames and adopt new Turkish surnames would revert back to their original surnames, or some variation, upon emigration/escape from Turkey. Fear of Discrimination - Surname changes and modifications can sometimes be attributed to a desire to conceal nationality or religious orientation in fear of reprisal or discrimination. This motive constantly appears among the Jews, who often faced anti-Semitism. Example: The Jewish surname COHEN was often changed to COHN or KAHN, or the name WOLFSHEIMER shortened to WOLF. Could the Name Have Been Changed at Ellis Island? Stories of immigrants fresh off the boat having their names changed by overzealous immigration officials at Ellis Island are prevalent in many families. This is almost certainly no more than a story, however. Despite the long-standing myth, names were not actually changed at Ellis Island. Immigration officials only checked the people passing through the island against the records of the ship on which they arrived—records which were created at the time of departure, not arrival.