The medical model is useful for certain conditions and problems. It also lends itself to a factory sort of medicine that allows a large number of people to be served using protocols and standard procedures. But when a patient’s issues don’t fit neatly into “the machine” then that system of medicine is not just not helpful, it can bring harm.
Engaging with a patient free of flowcharts and diagnostic codes invites into a space free of agenda and technique. It allows for a kind of non-doing that can allow for a patient connecting with resources they did not know they had.
Listen into this Part Two conversation with with Alice Whieldon on the cost of the medical model.