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Care illness models: theoretical exclusions and practice articulations

In many Latin American societies - especially in Mexico - there is a diversity of care illness models, which are considered in an isolated and even antagonistic way by state health sector. This happens by living out the observation of individual and group practices which shows the narrow and continual relationship between this models. This paper describes particular relations between biomedicine and selfcare to show the constant transaction process between them. In first place some basic biomedical and selfcare characteristics are considered, then we observe the transaction between them with special attention to drugs prescription and selfmedication. Transaction process is usually ignored by biomedicine and selfmedication process specially criticised by it. We are in the presence of a paradox because biomedicine and state health sector constantly promotes selfcare process which involves selfmedication. We notice that this takes place without a reflection on articulation and consequences of this transactions on health/illness/care process. We propose to think about this process in view of its intentional use by health services.

Sefcare; Biomedicine; Transactions; Relational approach


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