Ivan Illich born in September 1926 was known for the concept of medicalisation, which is attributed to him, and he was one of the first to advocated patient’s empowerment. He was also known to be one of the movements greatest free thinkers before he died in December 2002 of cancer. (Natural health perspective 2016)
The focus of this blog and part of the assessment investigates Ivan Illich theories based upon the notion of his ‘Medical Imperialism’. Illich’s start premature work of his theory which detailed of medicalisation which sees that he criticised the western part of the world of their medicalisation, this is seen in his books of medical nemesis published in 1976 and then later published limits to medicine published in 1995. His medical nemesis theory is based upon his opinion which guides us into to his opinion of three steps looking into Iatrogenesis, there are:
➢ Social Iatrogenesis – Medicalisation of life and its results.
➢ Cultural Iatrogenesis- The extinction of traditional ways; mainly looking at how to deal with a death also sickness and pain.
➢ Clinical Iatrogenesis – Injury that was caused to patient by unsafe analysis.
When looking into Illich’s three steps which are above, this shows that medicalisation is an ongoing problem which is increasing in our society. Which shows an increasing problem of health, the medical professionals are now taking control of medicine, as a result of this, and it has reached a point of “epidemic.” (Illich, 1976)Illich’s seen that many medical board meeting of any medical services are now having debates of disease this is shown by researchers needing to not have a central interest of ‘sick-making powers’, such as a diagnosis and therapy, which include studies of a ‘paradoxical damage’. Illich says that this is due to a cure for the illness, but this takes a significant amount of ‘space in medical dope-sheet’ (Illich, 1976).
|Evaulate Illich's(1976) notion of' Medical Imperialism' 