Paper Topic:

Western scientific paradigm of medicine

: Western scientific paradigm of medicine

Specifications : 4 pages , 6 sources , APA style

: language use APA style . In a three-page , summarize and critique the Western scientific paradigm addressing the following questions

1 . What is the Western scientific paradigm , and what are its implications for health care in the U .S

The Western scientific paradigm or `Western Biomedical Model ' is a system in which the manner in which a disease is caused is scientifically understood . The Western system beliefs that treating a disease would mean fixing or repairing a machine . Western Sciences

br depend a lot on research to determine the cause of the disease and identify ways in which the disease can be treated . Medical education professionalism and scientifically thinking form an important part of the Western medicine . One reason why Western scientific paradigm is trusted a lot because it is very successful in treating infectious diss . However , the sudden rise in the population , the baby boom rapid aging , etc has affected the health of the people and has over-relied on the Western system of medicine (Longino , 1997

There are five doctrines with relation to the Western scientific paradigm . The first one is the mind-body dualism . Western medicine tends to separate out the mind and the body from each other when treating a disease . However , things are beginning to change in this regard , because issues such as stress , psychosocial factors , placebo usage , etc , play a major role . Mechanical analogy is the second doctrine in which the body is considered to be consisting of several interrelated systems , and the doctor would be working towards correcting any abnormality . Frequently , the system of teaching medicine is such that the human body is not understood clearly . The third doctrine is physical reductionism , in which importance is given to treating the cause . Not much importance is given to social , psychological and behavioral factors . In the western system of medicine , greater importance is given to the structure of the tissues rather than their function . One of the eventual treatments for any disease would be modifying the genes . As Western treatment involves treating the symptoms , complete healing may not be possible . As psychological and social factors are not given much importance , a holistic form of healing will not be enabled . A definite regimen and control is the next doctrine of Western medicine . As per the details of this system , if a condition is affecting the body , the body should be treated . Hence , the physician should be given control over the patient 's body . However this doctrine is under a lot of scrutiny nowadays due to increased awareness in informed consent processes . The fifth doctrine of medicine is that each disease has a specific cause (for instance AIDS infection is caused by the HIV virus . Hence , even though medicine may offer a cure for several diseases (through appropriate medications , the people may not have trust in such a system . Instead people are beginning to believe that a disease is caused by several factors , and each...

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