At the borders of medical reasoning - aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/5988Dato
2013Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Forfatter
Eriksen, Thor Eirik; Kerry, Roger; Lie, Svein Anders Noer; Mumford, Stephen; Anjum, Rani LillSammendrag
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) remain recalcitrant to the medical profession, proving less suitable for
homogenic treatment with respect to their aetiology, taxonomy and diagnosis. While the majority of existing
medical research methods are designed for large scale population data and sufficiently homogenous groups, MUS
are characterised by their heterogenic and complex nature. As a result, MUS seem to resist medical scrutiny in a
way that other conditions do not. This paper approaches the problem of MUS from a philosophical point of view.
The aim is to first consider the epistemological problem of MUS in a wider ontological and phenomenological
context, particularly in relation to causation. Second, the paper links current medical practice to certain ontological
assumptions. Finally, the outlines of an alternative ontology of causation are offered which place characteristic
features of MUS, such as genuine complexity, context-sensitivity, holism and medical uniqueness at the centre of
any causal set-up, and not only for MUS. This alternative ontology provides a framework in which to better
understand complex medical conditions in relation to both their nature and their associated research activity.
Forlag
BioMed CentralSitering
Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine (2013), vol. 8:11Metadata
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