Concepts of Cure, Healing, Disease and Illness

Concepts of Cure, Healing, Disease and Illness
Author: Tadgemore Murigwa
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 10
Release: 2020-02-25
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3346119262

Essay in the subject Sociology - Medicine and Health, , language: English, abstract: According to WHO health is the complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely absence of disease or infirmity. (WHO 2010). When an individual is claimed to be healthy, it is considered the entire being is in a state of wellness and not merely absence of pathogens acting against one’s physical being. Cure and healing, although they may be interchanged have different meanings if taken in their rightful context. This misconception extend also to disease, sickness and illness. When individuals experience disease, there is always a tendency to think in obsolete terms of being curable and incurable. When we talk of curing we talk of the restoration of health by eliminating the symptoms that characterise a disease. Healing on the other hand calls for the restoration of wholeness. Healing is an integrative process that go beyond the physical but also include mental, emotional and spiritual vitality and wellness. Whilst cure could be instant, healing usually takes time. Also one can be cured but without healing and the reverse is also true.

Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine

Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine
Author: Thomas Schramme
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017-02-14
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9789401786874

This is the first wide-ranging, multi-authored handbook in the field of philosophy of medicine, covering the underlying conceptual issues of many important social, political and ethical issues in health care. It introduces and develops over 70 topics, concepts, and issues in the field. It is written by distinguished specialists from multiple disciplines, including philosophy, health sciences, nursing, sociology, political theory, and medicine. Many difficult social and ethical issues in health care are based on conceptual problems, most prominently on the definitions of health and disease, or on epistemological issues regarding causality or diagnosis. Philosophy is the discipline that deals with such conceptual, metaphysical, epistemological, methodological, and axiological matters. This handbook covers all the central concepts in medicine, such as ageing, death, disease, mental disorder, and well-being. It is an invaluable source for laypeople, academics with an interest in medicine, and health care specialists who want be informed and up to date with the relevant discussions. The text also advances these debates and will set the agenda for years to come.

McWhinney's Textbook of Family Medicine

McWhinney's Textbook of Family Medicine
Author: Thomas Freeman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 537
Release: 2016
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0199370680

'McWhinney's Textbook of Family Medicine' is one of the seminal texts in the field, defining the principles and practices of family medicine as a distinct field of practice. The fourth edition presents six new clinical chapters of common problems in family medicine.

The walk without limbs: Searching for indigenous health knowledge in a rural context in South Africa

The walk without limbs: Searching for indigenous health knowledge in a rural context in South Africa
Author: Gubela Mji
Publisher: AOSIS
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2019-12-12
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1928523110

In a country as diverse as South Africa, sickness and health often mean different things to different people – so much so that the different health definitions and health belief models in the country seem to have a profound influence on the health-seeking behaviour of the people who are part of our vibrant, multicultural society. This book is concerned with the integration of indigenous health knowledge (IHK) into the current Western--orientated Primary Health Care (PHC) model. The first section of the book highlights the challenges facing the training of health professionals using a curriculum that is not drawing its knowledge base from the indigenous context and the people of that context. Such professionals will later recognise that they are walking without limbs in matters pertaining to health. The area that was chosen for conducting the research was KwaBomvana in Xhora (Elliotdale), Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The people who reside there are called AmaBomvana. The area where the Bomvana peoples reside is served by Madwaleni Hospital and eight surrounding clinics. Qualitative ethnographic, feminist methods of data collection supported the research done for Section 1 of the book. Section 2 comprises the translation and implementation of PhD study outcomes and had contributions from various researchers. In the critical research findings of the PhD study, older Xhosa women identify the inclusion of social determinants of health as vital to the health problems they managed within their homes. For them, each disease is linked to a social determinant of health, and the management of health problems includes the management of social determinants of health. For them, it is about the health of the home and not just about the management of disease. They believe that healthy homes make healthy villages, and that the prevention of the development of disease is related to the strengthening of the home. Health and illness should be seen within both physical and spiritual contexts; without health, there can be no progress in the home. When defining health, the older Xhosa women add three critical components to the WHO health definition, namely, food security, healthy children and families, and peace and security in their villages. Prof. Mji further proposes that these three elements should be included in the next revision of the WHO health definition because they are not only important for the Bomvana people where the research was conducted, but also for the rest of humanity. In light of the promise of National Health Insurance and the revitalisation of PHC, this book proposes that these two major national health policies should take cognisance of the IHK utilised by the older Xhosa women. In addtion to what this research implies, these policies should also take note of all IHK from the indigenous peoples of South Africa, Africa and the rest of the world, and that there should be a clear plan as to how the knowledge can be supported within a health care systems approach.

The Nature of Healing

The Nature of Healing
Author: Eric J. Cassell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2013
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 019536905X

In this book, Eric Cassell explores what sickness is, what persons are, and how to understand function and its impairments. He explains healing skills and actions, as well as the nature of healing for sick and suffering patients. This book concludes with a discussion of the moral basis of the relationship between patient and healer. explores what sickness is, what persons are, and how to understand function and its impairments. He explains healing skills and actions, as well as the nature of healing for sick and suffering patients. This book concludes with a discussion of the moral basis of the relationship between patient and healer, as well as the goals of healing.

Medical Sociology in Africa

Medical Sociology in Africa
Author: Jimoh Amzat
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2014-07-08
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3319039865

This book presents a comprehensive discussion of classical ideas, core topics, currents and detailed theoretical underpinnings in medical sociology. It is a globally renowned source and reference for those interested in social dimensions of health and illness. The presentation is enriched with explanatory and illustrative styles. The design and illustration of details will shift the minds of the readers from mere classroom discourse to societal context (the space of health issues), to consider the implications of those ideas in a way that could guide health interventions. The elemental strengths are the sociological illustrations from African context, rooted in deep cultural interpretations necessitated because Africa bears a greater brunt of health problems. More so, the classical and current epistemological and theoretical discourse presented in this book are indicative of core themes in medical sociology in particular, but cut across a multidisciplinary realm including health social sciences (e.g., medical anthropology, health psychology, medical demography, medical geography and health economics) and health studies (medicine, public health, epidemiology, bioethics and medical humanities) in general. Therefore, apart from the book’s relevance as a teaching text of medical sociology for academics, it is also meant for students at various levels and all health professionals who require a deeper understanding of social dimensions of health and illness (with illustrations from the African context) and sociological contributions to health studies in general.

Illness Behavior

Illness Behavior
Author: Sean McHugh
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 421
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1468452576

In August, 1985, the 2nd International Conference on Illness Behaviour was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The first International Conference took place one year previous in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. This book is based on the proceedings of the second conference. The purpose behind this conference was to facilitate the development of a single integrated model to account for illness experience and presentation. A major focus of the conference was to outline methodological issues related to current behaviour research. A multidiscipl~nary approach was emphasized because of the bias that collaborative efforts are likely to be the most successful in achieving greater understanding of illness behaviour. Significant advances in our knowledge are occurring in all areas of the biological and social sciences, albeit more slowly in the latter areas. Marked specialization in each of these areas has lead to greater difficulty in integrating new knowledge with that of other areas and the development of a meaningful cohesive model to which all can relate. Thus there is a major need for forums such as that provided by this conference.

Evidence-Based Medicine and the Changing Nature of Health Care

Evidence-Based Medicine and the Changing Nature of Health Care
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2008-09-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309113695

Drawing on the work of the Roundtable on Evidence-Based Medicine, the 2007 IOM Annual Meeting assessed some of the rapidly occurring changes in health care related to new diagnostic and treatment tools, emerging genetic insights, the developments in information technology, and healthcare costs, and discussed the need for a stronger focus on evidence to ensure that the promise of scientific discovery and technological innovation is efficiently captured to provide the right care for the right patient at the right time. As new discoveries continue to expand the universe of medical interventions, treatments, and methods of care, the need for a more systematic approach to evidence development and application becomes increasingly critical. Without better information about the effectiveness of different treatment options, the resulting uncertainty can lead to the delivery of services that may be unnecessary, unproven, or even harmful. Improving the evidence-base for medicine holds great potential to increase the quality and efficiency of medical care. The Annual Meeting, held on October 8, 2007, brought together many of the nation's leading authorities on various aspects of the issues - both challenges and opportunities - to present their perspectives and engage in discussion with the IOM membership.

Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries

Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries
Author: Dean T. Jamison
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 1449
Release: 2006-04-02
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0821361805

Based on careful analysis of burden of disease and the costs ofinterventions, this second edition of 'Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition' highlights achievable priorities; measures progresstoward providing efficient, equitable care; promotes cost-effectiveinterventions to targeted populations; and encourages integrated effortsto optimize health. Nearly 500 experts - scientists, epidemiologists, health economists,academicians, and public health practitioners - from around the worldcontributed to the data sources and methodologies, and identifiedchallenges and priorities, resulting in this integrated, comprehensivereference volume on the state of health in developing countries.

A Textbook of Family Medicine

A Textbook of Family Medicine
Author: Ian R. McWhinney
Publisher: New York : Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 468
Release: 1997
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780195115185

This text defines and conceptualizes the field of family medicine. The first edition was widely acclaimed for its originality, depth of analysis and elegant style. The book has now been extensively revised. Much new material has been added on the patient-centered clinical method, illness narratives, the biological basis of family medicine, health promotion, the concept of risk, and the contribution of evidence-based medicine. A new chapter on alternative (complementary) medicine fills the need for reliable information on this topic.