The biopsychosocial model of illness: a model whose time has come (21 July 2017)

Summary

The biopsychosocial model outlined in Engel’s classic Science paper four decades ago emerged from dissatisfaction with the biomedical model of illness, which remains the dominant healthcare model. Engel’s call to arms for a biopsychosocial model has been taken up in several healthcare fields, but it has not been accepted in the more economically dominant and politically powerful acute medical and surgical domains. 

This editorial from Wade and Haligan reviews the historical context, achievements and recent developments of the biopsychosocial model, with a view to explaining how the model could be better employed to help (re-)organise and improve both the efficiency and the effectiveness of healthcare systems. This could improve patient outcome while also controlling costs.