The Medical Model of the Disease Concept

Abstract

According to the medical model of the disease concept, a class of patients is homogeneous only when it is characterized by manifestations which have their ultimate intra-organismic origin in a particular kind of physio-pathological cause. Most patient classes are still heterogeneous because we are still ignorant of that cause. The medical model can be applied to the subdivision of all classes of patients, including classes of non-organic psychiatric patients. However, the successful application of the medical model depends on the acquisition of knowledge of relevant physiopathological facts. It is argued that the dimensional model of evaluating psychological abnormalities is not likely to help in acquiring that knowledge.