Category: Medical sociology

According to the famous distinction by physician-author Arthur Kleinman, disease is what the doctor sees, while illness is what the patient feels. This foundational insight highlights why the question, 'Is illness a subjective experience?' is far more complex than a simple yes or no answer, affirming that personal narrative is central to understanding health.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, while a **disease** is a diagnosable medical condition, an **illness** is the personal, subjective experience of feeling unwell. This critical distinction helps in understanding how can illness be described from multiple perspectives, from a doctor's clinical report to a patient's personal narrative, highlighting that our experience of health goes far beyond a clinical diagnosis.

According to the biopsychosocial model, illness is not merely the presence of a disease, but a complex, multidimensional experience shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors. This model helps us understand **how is illness subjective** and why two people with the same diagnosis can have vastly different experiences.

Did you know the medical model has been the dominant framework for understanding health and illness for centuries? What is the meaning of medical model, and how does this approach fundamentally shape modern healthcare and patient treatment?