The Biopsychosocial Model in Modern Healthcare: Overcoming Barriers to Holistic Patient Care
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The biopsychosocial model has reshaped contemporary healthcare by emphasizing the interconnectedness of biological, psychological, and social factors in health and disease. Unlike the traditional biomedical model, this approach offers a more holistic framework for managing chronic illnesses, pain disorders, and mental health conditions. Despite its well-documented benefits, the model faces significant implementation barriers, including the dominance of reductionist medical education, inadequate interdisciplinary collaboration, and financial constraints in healthcare systems. This editorial highlights the necessity of integrating biopsychosocial principles into clinical practice and discusses strategies to overcome systemic challenges. Key recommendations include revising medical education to incorporate psychosocial training, reforming healthcare policies to support multidisciplinary care, and leveraging digital health technologies to facilitate biopsychosocial interventions. Addressing these obstacles is essential to ensuring patient-centered, effective, and sustainable healthcare systems globally.
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