ABSTRACT

This first chapter presents several conceptual models that are necessary to understand the foundation of the U.S. health care system. The first framework is known as the Biomedical Model, and it developed at the same time as scientific understanding of pathogenic organisms, which is why it is also called the germ theory. This conceptual framework defines the U.S. health care system in terms of services offered as well as how these are financed. Several modifications have been made to the Biomedical Model, primarily to enlarge its focus because of the changing pattern of disease in the United States. These modifications enlarge the narrow focus of the Biomedical Model to explain chronic illness. Other conceptual models are organized around the idea of health or wellness instead of just illness. These modifications support the inclusion of services that promote health as well as those dedicated to resolving sickness.