Disease Centered Model, Essay Example

There is much conventional wisdom in a disease-centered model approach to medicine and healthcare. A medical profession will strive to find cures for ailments, and through technology cures have been developed that can heal many illnesses and diseases that previously were untreatable. For example, insulin treatments allow those with diabetes to live a much more normal life than they would otherwise. Although the benefits cannot be argued, it is also appropriate to point out significant constraints associated with a model that is so narrowly defined. These constraints have become more pronounced over time, and for this reason a disease-centered approach may not always be the most effective approach in modern times. Individualized and more humanistic approaches may prove more effective in the long run.

As one journal article describes, physicians currently have to develop new communication and negotiation skills with patients at time when managed care constraints, litigation, and government regulation are working to compromise trust between physician and their patients. The article goes on to describe how a disease-centered approach views patients as cases without proper regard to humanistic needs of patient care (Green, 2002). While these considerations do not leave a disease-centered approach bereft of ability to provide important care to patients, it does point out that there are sizable gaps to the benefits that this approach can give.

Another article cites additional shortcomings associated with our modern times. Further elaborating on regulatory concerns, it describes how both the FDA and European Medicines Agency have established demanding structures for both new and existing drugs because of their potential to harm patients. The process is designed to ensure safety of the public, but is both lengthy and expensive (Rijswijk and Gray, 2012). Unfortunately this can lead to more expense for patients, some of whom are ill equipped both mentally and physically to handle the burden of the cost. In addition, the article goes on to describe reimbursement issues. Approval of a new or existing drug does not mean payors such as Medicare will agree to reimburse, and this also can lead to a lengthy and expensive process as evidence is evaluated prior to approving for payment (Rijswijk and Gray, 2012).

A disease-centered approach has had success in treatments, such a tobacco use. Tobacco is an example of a product that has been defined as a disease through addiction, and much effort was put into finding cures for nicotine addiction, and many products such as patches, gum, and nasal sprays have been created for this effort. There were even attempts to produce a vaccination (Frohlich, 2008). The problem with this approach is that everything is focused on finding a way to make someone quit, but what about making sure they never start smoking in the first place? This could point to another potential shortcoming to the disease-centered approach, as part of the cure should be to determine how to keep someone from taking up the habit in the first place, which can only be accomplished through a more humanistic methodology.

As one writer sums up, roots of an illness need to be addressed to prevent the illness. A significant percentage of people in today’s age suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. Other considerations such a lifestyle and nutrition are also part of the cure (Hyman, 2008). Additional considerations such as psychology and sociology of a patient also needs to be evaluated, as there is a possibility that how a person perceives their disease will affect the outcome. These are all factors that are not addressed in a disease-centered approach that focuses more on drug development  and less on finding a comprehensive cure for an individual patient.

Through citation of specific examples I have provided a position on the disease-centered approach. It does provide significant benefits, but it is limited in scope on providing for the overall health of a patient. In order to become more effective, it needs to be augmented with other considerations that are equally, if not more important in the benefits that they provide.

References

Frohlich, K. (2008, Oct. 21). Is Tobacco Use a Disease? Canadian Medical Association Journal. Retrieved from http://www.cmaj.ca/content/179/9/880.full

Green, A. (Mar. 2002). Why the Disease-Based Model of Medicine Fails Our Patients. Western Journal of Medicine. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071693/

Hyman, M. (Jun. 2008). Functional Wellness, Part 1: Genes and the Environment. Experiencelife.com. Retrieved from http://experiencelife.com/article/functional-wellness-part-1-genes-and-the-environment/

Rijswijk, L.V. and Gray, M. (Jan./Feb. 2012). Evidence, Research, and Clinical Practice: A Patient-Centered Framework for Progress in Wound Care. Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing. Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp?tid=1293103