Biomedical model, reductionism and their consequences for body perception

Abstract

Modern medicine is constantly evolving, enabling the early detection of diseases, offering various treatment options, protecting against undesirable conditions and providing advanced pharmacological solutions. The 19th century biomedical model, which prevailed into the 20th century, has greatly improved our understanding of the human body and the causes of disease. Despite the introduction of other models, such as the bio-psycho-social and the patient-centered model, the biomedical model remains an integral part of evidence-based medicine (EBM). It leads to various consequences such as specialization, biological determinism, the victim-blaming approach, reductionism and objectification. The article uses phenomenology as an analytical framework. Two research questions were posed: 1) How does the biomedical model influence the fragmentation of patient care? 2) What influence does the biomedical model have on the perception of the patient’s body? The main argument is that the medical model of disease is still influential in the fields of research, education and medical practice and, with the advances of evidence-based medicine, influences the perception of the patient’s body. The article is based on a literature review and aims to show the non-obvious connection between medical progress and body perception. The analysis has shown that the biomedical model influences the fragmentation of patient care through increasing professional reductionism and specialization, leading to an objectification of the body that can be made by both doctors and patients.