Contribution of Sociology in medicine

Laiba Imtiaz
DPT
2ND SEMESTER
School Of Physical Therapy
Submitted to SIR AWAIS
 Topic outline:
• Sociology Definition
• Medical sociology definition
• Major contributor
• Subfields of Sociology
• Importance
• Doctor–patient relationship
• Medical Paternalism
• Conclusion
 Definition:
sociology:

Sociology, a social science that studies human

societies, their interactions
OR
Study of society is sociology.
 Definition of medical sociology:

• Medical sociology is concerned with the relationship

between social factors and health, and with the
application of sociological theory and research
techniques to questions related to health and health
care system.
 Major contributor:

Parsons is one of the founding fathers of medical sociology, and

applied social role theory to interactional relations between sick
people and others. Later other sociologists such as Eliot Freidson
have taken a conflict theory of sociology.
 Subfields of sociology:
• Medical Sociology in terms of four major subfields:

• Social Epidemiology
• Social Psychology of Health and Illness
• Sociology of Medicine
• Sociology in Medicine
 Importance:
• Sociology has greatest importance in nursing. Because nurse
spent more time with patients. So the need is to educate nurses
how to interact and behave with patients.
• Doctors also need to educate about sociology
because the patients come from different areas, cities, societies.
They have different cultures so, if a doctor educate about
sociology. then , the doctor firstly know about there interaction
with different people, there working place where they work,and
there financial circumstances. According to there circumstances
the doctor prescribe the medicine to patient.
 Doctor–patient relationship

• The doctor–patient
relationship, the social interactions between healthcare
providers and those who interact with them, is studied
by medical sociology
 Medical Paternalism:
• Medical paternalism is the perspective that doctors want
what is best for the patient and must take decisions on
behalf of the patient because the patient is not competent
to make their own decisions. Parsons argued that though
there was an asymmetry of knowledge and power in the
doctor patient relationship the medical system provided
sufficient safeguards to protect the patient justifying a
paternalistic role by the doctor and medical system.
 CONCLUSION:
• CONCLUSION:

Medical sociology has great importance in

every field including medicine. It is becoming an essential
part of every field.
• Medical sociology contibute alot in medicine as to educate
doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, how to interact with
there patients.