TOTALISTIC AND INTEGRATED APPROACH TO HEALTH - A PROPOSAL

In an earlier article the authors had traced the defects in medical practice to the flaws in the medical knowledge. In the present paper they propose a plan for the rectification of these defects. As the current medical research is unsuited for this purpose there is a need to adopt an alternative method of research, consisting of three phases viz. a) Formulation of hypothesis b) Development of tools of assessment and c) Experimental verification of the hypothesis using the instruments of assessment. This method must be used to revise the concepts of human being, illness, etiology and treatment. The first topic that must be taken up for such consideration is the concept of human being. An outline of the various constituents of human being is given. Also the factors that account for individual difference s among human beings, are enumerated. Subsequent research aimed at revision of concepts of illness, etiology and treatment should be based upon such a totalistic and integrated concept of human being.