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The Importance Of The Biopsychosocial Model : Diabetes

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The Importance of the Biopsychosocial Model: Diabetes

Nicolle Steiner
Patient Interview
Mercy College
Professor Cashin
October 6, 2017

Abstract: For many years the biomedical approach has been the golden standard in healthcare, but this approach lacks many important factors. While the biomedical approach takes into consideration the biological aspect of a disease, it fails to address the importance of psychological and social factors when treating a patient. This paper compares the biomedical approach to the biopsychosocial model in healthcare, specifically in regards to diabetes. This article provides information concerning biological, psychological and social factors and their importance when treating a diabetic …show more content…

In edition to acute complications of short term elevations of glucose, long term elevations of blood glucose lead to severe complications; microvascular damage resulting in heart attacks, strokes and gangrene, microvascular damage resulting in kidney damage and blindness due to retinopathy (peyrot 1999). For this reason the main goal of diabetes treatment is to maintain blood glucose as close to normal as possible. Medication is the theme of treating disease based on the biomedical outlook that disease is biological. Unfortunately, the biomedical model of medicine fails to take into consideration the social and psychological factors that play a role in the treatment of this illness. The biomedical approach fails to consider the psychologic and behavioral process involved in stress and coping with glucose control, as well as the interaction between biological and psychosocial factors and how this affects patient coherence with treatment. Studies have established that many people diagnosed with diabetes have difficulty in adapting to biomedical therapy; in order to improve health outcomes it is important to address the psychological and physical stresses of diabetes with specific adaptive and coping strategies (awah). Living with diabetes poses many challenges for patients in areas like nutrition, glycemic monitoring and medication adherence. In fact, patients with diabetes

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