Assistance to patient/family in pursuit of HEALTH and HEALING
“pull the plug,” such as in the Nancy Cruzan case. The battles with the late Dr. Jack Kevorkian have stretched these issues even further.
Finally, although many daily practical activities are undertaken in the name of health—taking vitamins, practicing hygiene, using birth control, en- gaging in dietary or exercise programs—the “diseases of the rich” (cancer, heart disease, and stroke) tend to capture more public attention and funding than the diseases of the poor (malnutrition, high maternal and infant death rates, sickle- cell anemia, and lead poisoning).
In this chapter, we have explored, in a very limited way, the culture and characteristics inherent in the socialization into the health care professions; many of the issues surrounding the American health care delivery system by ex- amining the history and trends that led to its present character; the experiences a person may have in attempting to obtain care; and how medicine is now an institution of social control. Table 8–7 brings closure to this chapter by com- paring medical care and CULTURALCARE.
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202 ■ Chapter 8
Philosophy Allopathic—body and mind “With enough money, energy, and scientific zeal, there are no diseases or maladies that it cannot cure or remedy”
Holistic care predicated on HEALTH traditions and patient/ family/community articulated needs and situation
Challenges Should life support be used far beyond the natural trajectory of a given episode?
Disparagement and nonacceptance of HEALTH, ILLNESS, and HEALING traditions
Should disease and death ever be accepted? Should such controversial issues such as physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia be accepted as part of medical practice?’