What is biomedicine?

Biomedicine is a branch of medical science involving the application of biological and other natural-science principles to clinical practice. More specifically, biomedicine is the use of scientific observation and experimentation to identify and explain diseases and develop effective treatments. Biomedicine has become the world's most dominant form of medical care. Moreover, thanks to the efforts of local governments and international health organizations, biomedicine has become available, at least to some extent, to people everywhere.

Historical Background

Biomedicine is the end result of centuries of evolution in the relationship between medicine and science. The earliest roots of that relationship can be traced back to about the sixth century B.C.E., when science first began to replace belief in magic as the primary basis of medicine. It was the Greeks who first developed the concept of humoral medicine, which was founded on the belief that health was determined by the four bodily humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile). Eventually, this led the Greeks to begin thinking of disease as a natural phenomenon with physical causes that could be identified and addressed. This, along with the development of the Hippocratic Oath about 460 B.C.E., marked the beginning of formalized scientific medicine in the Western world.

As time went on, scientific medicine continued to evolve. After briefly falling from prominence during the Middle Ages, it reemerged with the Renaissance, when advanced medical practices such as anatomy, physiology, and surgery were first developed. Equally important was the later development of effective vaccinations and the scientific method during the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Finally, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, scientific medicine entered its modern stage thanks to the emergence of the germ theory of disease, general anesthesia, and other critical developments. Since that time, the practice of biomedicine has led to numerous breakthrough developments in the study and treatment of disease, including organ transplantation, antibiotics, chemotherapy, and much more.

Features of Biomedicine

Biomedicine has three distinct features through which it is defined as a field. These include the use of the scientific method to research diseases and find effective treatments, reliance on technology, and specialization in treatment. Each of these features must be examined individually to truly understand biomedicine as a whole.

Biomedicine and the Scientific Method

In large part, biomedicine's existence is due to the introduction of the scientific method during the Scientific Revolution. As medical science evolved, the scientific method was the essential component that made advancements possible. At it most fundamental level, biomedicine is about establishing a biological explanation for health and disease. Biomedical researchers use the scientific method to assess a medical situation, determine what is wrong, develop a means of treatment, and ultimately prove that the treatment in question is effective and appropriate for general use.

Reliance on Technology

Almost all important biomedical advances have been achieved with the assistance of technology. Regardless of its level of sophistication, technology is an essential part of biomedicine at every step of the process. Physicians and researchers today rely on technology to do everything from identifying diseases and their causation to making diagnoses, developing and testing treatments, administering those treatments, and monitoring the results. Examples of modern biomedical technology include simple instruments such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs to advanced machines and devices including CAT scans, robotic surgical arms, and pacemakers.

Specialization in Treatment

Finally, modern biomedicine is characterized by extensive specialization. As medicine has advanced as a scientific field, it has come to include a wide range of subfields that center on certain aspects of physical and mental health, different bodily systems, and more. Some of these subfields include emergency medicine, optometry, dermatology, pediatrics, obstetrics, and otolaryngology (ears, nose, and throat). This subdivision of the broader medical field allows physicians and other care providers to focus on concerns related to their fields of choice and to provide patients in need with the best possible treatment for their specific ailments.

Specialization also extends to the places where patients may seek the treatment they need. In addition to hospitals, patients can often receive specialized treatment at clinics, trauma centers, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, hospices, and other facilities. Each of these offers specific types of medical care tailored to meet the unique needs of various types of patients, thus making it easier for people to get the exact type of care they require.

Biomedicine Around the World

Although it is based on the philosophy that illness and medical theory are a universal constant, the practice of biomedicine can vary significantly within and across different cultures. On the regional and even national level, the reach of biomedicine varies depending on the availability of medical facilities and technology from place to place. On the global level, that reach varies not only on the basis of availability, but also in terms of how it is practiced. American physicians, for example, tend to be more aggressive in treating their patients as compared to their European counterparts and are more likely to recommend surgery over drugs. Some foreign physicians, in contrast, might be more likely to favor natural treatments that are less invasive and potentially safer. Such differences aside, what is important is that biomedicine is practiced throughout the world. Today, many people have at least some access to the quality, advanced medical care made possible by modern biomedicine.

Bibliography

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Lloyd, Cathy. "What is Biomedicine?" OpenLearn. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/health/health-studies/what-biomedicine