Two different models of health - Research Paper Example

Two Different Models of Health ID Number: of School Teacher's Word Count: 722 July 14, 2011 There are two prevalent models of health today as perceived by health professionals. The first is the so-called medical view of health based on the concepts of a Western medicine culture reliant on an eradication of ailments through diagnosis and the application of the drug treatments based on chemicals. This model is based on the scientific knowledge of the body and its various functions. The idea is to learn what is wrong as based on the symptoms of the sick person through differential diagnosis (by a process based on elimination until the exact cause of the ailment is determined), recommend the treatment regimen and see to it that the patient complies with this recommended treatment plan.

This is the so-called medical model of health based on a scientific paradigm of knowledge of the various kinds of diseases. The two key words used in this model are recovery and restoration. This health model is called as allopathy as opposed to homeopathy or the wellness model (MedicineNet.com, 2004, p. 1). Recovery – the Western model of health is anchored on proper identification of the cause of an illness through correct diagnosis and is more or less an individualized approach. If the cause is known, then a treatment can be formulated based on this knowledge and this is supposedly how the sick person recovers his normal health (Lyng, 1990, p.100). Restoration – the Western model likewise emphasizes the physical approach when it comes to analyzing the disease and seeks a treatment plan based on this physical knowledge.

It generally ignores the other dimensions of health such as the social, psychological, mental and emotional factors which can impinge on the health of an individual. In this regard, this model can be considered as quite limited in its outlook and merely focuses on the physical or one aspect of health by removing the cause of an ailment through treatment using chemicals. The main emphasis is that once the sick person has been cured of his ailment, then the focus of attention should be on avoiding the same causes of ailment by the idea of restoration of the health or normal well-being of the individual to prevent a recurrence of the same disease.

The second model is the wellness health model which emphasizes the absence of a disease through healthy lifestyles. This model more or less closely conforms to the traditional views of medicine such as herbal medicinal practice; complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) like ancient Chinese medicine or the Indian ayurveda are examples of this model. Its main advantages are the maintenance of good health (wellness) not by using drug treatments but through healthy living. In other words, its key principle is on prevention rather than the recovery and restoration modes as previously discussed under the Western medical model.

It is also cheaper in terms of, for example, taking daily vitamin supplements to avoid sicknesses instead of taking recommended prescriptive medicines which are quite expensive. The Better Health Model – I would prefer the latter model of health that is wellness because it is preventive (or preventative) instead of the earlier model which is more curative in its nature, philosophy and approach but potentially expensive or even life threatening. The wellness model of health is the more holistic approach between these two models and closely reflects a new approach based on policies and guidelines formulated by the United Nations in its Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to achieve universal health by the year 2015.

The wellness model is also known as the social model of health because it sees illnesses as signs of breakdowns in a society, such as poverty that prevents people from availing of all medical facilities (Earle, 2007, p. 55). As such, it takes a multi-disciplinary approach to solving health problems and takes the view that whole segments of a population can enjoy their good health (well-being) through the adoption of well-crafted public health policies rather than just focus on one sick individual.

It is this health model which I find to be suitable for me. This model is the appropriate model to use when it comes to community health advocacies because it is an all-encompassing approach using techniques like health promotion by the provision of health advice and timely dissemination of crucial health information (Lundy & Janes, 2009, p. 311). References Earle, S. (2007). Theory and research in promoting public health. London, UK: Sage Publications. Lundy, K. S. & Janes, S. (2009). Community health nursing: caring for the public's health.

Sudbury, MA, USA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Lyng, S. (1990). Holistic health and biomedical medicine: a countersystem analysis. Albany, NY, USA: State University of New York Press. MedicineNet.com (2004, June 26). Definition of allopathy. Retrieved from http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10981