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On the conflation of the concepts of medicine and health

The concepts of medicine and health are becoming conflated. This can be
seen in the language of medicine and health: medicine is discussed in terms of
health and health in terms of medicine. A review of literature by medicine and
health scholars gives evidence of the conflation and of its effects. The collapse of
two concepts into one constrains the development and utilization of medicine and
the meaning and pursuit of health. The conflation also obscures the distinction and
separate relevance of disease and illness to both medicine and health.
The claim is that medicine and health are distinct concepts and that a
recognition of them as separate is beneficial. Medicine is a means for humans.
Health is an end of humans and is the prototypical condition of "how life ought to
be." An understanding of medicine and health as separate concepts is beneficial to
the development and utilization of medicine and to the meaning and pursuit of
health. Furthermore, the separation of medicine and health clarifies the importance
of medicine to disease and the significance of illness to health. / Graduation date: 2003

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/31708
Date06 March 2003
CreatorsTuten, Mavis I.
ContributorsRoberts, Lani
Source SetsOregon State University
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis/Dissertation

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