Digital bioMedicine & Healthcare Information Technology

Introduction to Medicine and Biomedicine

Medicine
- The science and art with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease. –
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)
- The practices and procedures used for the prevention, treatment, or relief of symptoms of diseases or
abnormal conditions. (National Cancer Institute)

Biomedicine
- Medicine based on the application of the principles of the natural sciences and especially biology and
biochemistry. – (Merriam Webster Dictionary)
- A system in which medical doctors and other healthcare professionals treat symptoms and diseases using
drugs, radiation, or surgery. – (National Cancer Institute)
- Also called allopathic medicine, conventional medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and
western medicine.
Brief History
- The increasing reliance of medicine on technologies, instruments, and drugs makes the demarcation
between “medicine,””science,” and “industry” more difficult.
- The “practice turn” in the history of science, which gave greater attention to the ways scientists and
physicians work.
- As the nouns difference between medicine and biomedicine. Is that medicine is a substance which
specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way while biomedicine is the application
of biology and physiology to clinical medicine.

Consultation Models

The Medical Model:

o Traditional model. History taking Examination Investigation Diagnosis Treatment

follow up.
o Does not recognize the complexity and diversity of the consultation in Family Practice.

THE BIOMEDICAL MODEL OF HEALTH

The ADVANTAGES of the Biomedical Model of Health:

 It creates advances in technology and research – without this model, we wouldn’t have things like xrays,
antibiotics and anaesthetics. We also we wouldn’t have as much knowledge of how to diagnose and treat
illnesses.
 Many common problems can now the effectively treated – most people have a range of medications over the
course of their lives. Many are taken for granted as they stop diseases that would otherwise develop and
cause and cause considerable ill – health or death.
 Extend Life Expectancy
 Improves quality of life – this model can be successful in returning an ill person to good health.

HISTORY OF MEDICINE

Primitive Times

 Believe that illness and diseases were a punishment from the Gods
 First physician were witch doctors who treated illness with ceremonies
 Herbs and plants were 1st pharmaceuticals

Examples:

Foxglove gave digitalis plants

- Leaves were chewed to strengthen and slow heart

- Now given by pills, IV, or injections

Primitive Medicine

 Quinine is from the bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine is used alone or with other medications to treat
malaria.
  Atropine is derived from the belladonna plant. It is used to relax muscles by inhibiting nerve responses. It is
also used to dilate the pupils and as antispasmodic.
 Morphine is derived from opium from the poppy plant. It is a narcotic pain reliever used to treat moderate to
severe pain.

Trepanation

 One of the first surgeries

 A hole was cut into the skull to release demons
 What are some of the possible complications of this treatment?

HISTORY OF ANATOMY- EGYPT

(3000 BC- 300 BC)
 Early references to anatomy from ancient Egypt (1500 BC)
 Came from practice of mummifying their dead

Egyptians

 first to keep accurate health records

 wrote prescriptions on papyrus
 Physicians were priests
 Temples were used as places of worships, medical schools, and hospital