Sociology and psychology in medicine

Question 1

What is the biomedical model of disease?

Answer 1

Health reflects absence of disease
Illness stems from pathology due to invasion/injury/faulty internal processes
Patient is victim, doctor treats them
Reductionist approach

Question 2

How does the WHO define health?

Answer 2

State of physical, mental and social well-being
More than the absence of disease
Subjective concept
Multi-dimensional (body, mind and social interactions)

Question 3

In the biopsychosocial model, what biological factors are considered?

Answer 3

Genetics
Infection
Damage
Deficiency
Imbalance

Question 4

In the biopsychosocial model, what psychological factors are considered?

Answer 4

Personality 
Behaviour
Cognitions
Emotions
Stress

Question 5

In the biopsychosocial model, what social factors are considered?

Answer 5

Family
Community
Class
Culture
Society

Question 6

What are the biological systems in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 6

Organs
Tissues
Cells
Genes

Question 7

What are the psychological systems in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 7

Behaviour
Cognition
Emotion

Question 8

What are the social systems in the biopsychosocial model?

Answer 8

Family
Community
Society and culture

Question 9

Implications of the biopsychosocial model

Answer 9

Health and illness are on a continuum
More individual/societal responsibility on health
Treating whole person not disease
Acute care model sometimes inadequate - multidisciplinary is needed

Question 10

Which psychosocial factors can we apply in out PBL cases?

Answer 10

Decisions about where/when to seek treatment
Perception of pain and symptoms
Psychosocial barriers to treatment
Adhering to treatment and advice
Social influences
Communication between healthcare professionals

Question 11

What does sociology mainly focus on?

Answer 11

Begins with society/groups

Question 12

What does psychology mainly focus on?

Answer 12

Begins with individuals

Question 13

What is sociology?

Answer 13

Systematic study of how society is organised and how we experience life
Interested in social processes/interactions
Sees behaviour as less individually driven
Why we do things is shaped by socio-cultural context

Question 14

What are norms?

Answer 14

Shape behaviour in certain context

Question 15

What aspects of sociology can we study in our world?

Answer 15

Changing roles/work lives
Inequalities
Ageing populations
Pandemic
Medical advances
Period of austerity
Globalisation of workforce

Question 16

What is medical sociology?

Answer 16

Study of structural and cultural features of medicine as an institution, a profession and a discipline

Question 17

What is sociology of health and illness?

Answer 17

Lay perceptions/experiences of health and illness
Relationships between professionals and patients
Nature of health and illness in society

Question 18

Methods of enquiry in sociology

Answer 18

Quantitative/qualitative 
Interviews
Observations
Surveys, focus groups
Analysing secondary data

Question 19

How does sociology contribute to medicine?

Answer 19

Patient safety/quality of care
Experience of illness/healthcare
Accessing care
Professional-patient relationships 
Health inequalities

Question 20

What are the warning signs of poor quality of care?

Answer 20

Cultures that aren’t focussed on patient

Tolerance of poor standards

Question 21

Why is it beneficial to study quality of care and patient safety?

Answer 21

Can understand social/cultural features affecting how people work together
Gives insight into how interventions may/may not work
NHS safety thermometer

Question 22

What is the NHS safety thermometer?

Answer 22

Not doing harm
Theory of change explicit
‘Institutional logics’ competing
Participants felt they were taking heat of blame

Question 23

Why is it important to study patients’ experience of chronic illness?

Answer 23

Understand impact of condition for patient - affects daily living/relationships/identity/sense of self
Sociology offers to theories to understand this more