In an age where growing technological advances in medicine are met by a population that is increasingly becoming more distanced to the process of medical development and treatment, “the penetration of capital into health care has become a highly contradictory process” (Baer, 2001, p. 49). As a result of pharmaceutical companies evolving more active and sometimes insidious roles within medicine, the organisation of power has shifted from being a relatively equal process between physicians and patients, to one that is now dominated by both medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies. Clinical Drug Trials (CDTs) represent a succinct example of how the biomedical system is inherently structured to maintain power imbalances between medical professionals and patients, with these imbalances manifesting on a socio-cultural and political level. By outlining a brief historical background of the medical movement from the 18th century to modern times and my experience of being a patient in CDTs, I will link my own perceptions and experiences of CDTs to the theories of Foucault and demonstrate how uneven power relations are heavily influenced by concepts of truth, language, and perception. The significance of Foucault’s theories on understanding the various forms and complexities of power within CDTs are shown to be valuable when applying an anthropological framework.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- The Power of Medical Discourse: Exploring Clinical Drug Trials in the Context of Foucault
- Introduction
- A Brief History of Clinical Trials
- My Experiences with CDTs
- Exploring Foucault's Theories in the Context of CDTs
- Truth
- Language
- Medical Gaze
- Power, Truth, and Discourse
- The Organisation of the Clinic and the Dualistic Goals of Healing and Profit
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This text explores the power dynamics present in clinical drug trials (CDTs), analyzing how these trials reflect and perpetuate power imbalances between medical professionals and patients. Through personal experiences with CDTs and an application of Foucault's theories, the author aims to demonstrate how concepts of truth, language, and perception influence these power relations within a biomedical context.
- The historical development of clinical trials and their connection to the transition from religious to scientific medicine.
- The influence of Foucault's theories of power, truth, and language on the understanding of doctor-patient relationships within CDTs.
- The impact of profit-driven motives on the conduct of clinical trials and the ethical implications of outsourcing trials to developing countries.
- The role of medical discourse in shaping perceptions and behaviors of both patients and medical professionals.
- The complexities of power dynamics within the medical system and the implications for patient autonomy and well-being.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The introduction establishes the context of the text, highlighting the increasing influence of pharmaceutical companies in medicine and the consequent power imbalances between medical professionals and patients. The author introduces CDTs as a prime example of this dynamic, highlighting the need to examine these power relations through an anthropological lens.
- This chapter explores the historical development of clinical trials, connecting them to the evolution of modern medicine in the 18th and 19th centuries. The transition from religious medicine to scientific medicine, characterized by the emergence of objective facts and a new medical language, paved the way for the institutionalization of medicine and the rise of CDTs as a profitable business.
- The author recounts personal experiences with CDTs in New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Belgium, observing a recurring pattern in patient-doctor interactions. This pattern includes a tendency to reduce patients to numbers, symptoms, and test results, highlighting a depersonalization of the patient-doctor relationship.
- This chapter analyzes the author's experiences in the context of Foucault's theories of truth, language, and the medical gaze. The author argues that the objective truth established within the medical profession creates a hierarchy between doctors and patients, while the specialized language used within medicine reinforces the separation between them. The medical gaze, characterized by a focus on symptoms rather than individuals, further objectifies and dehumanizes patients.
- Building upon Foucault's premises, this chapter examines the role of power and discourse in medicine. The author argues that "who holds the truth, holds the power," and that in the realm of medicine, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and governments dictate the dominant discourse. The author connects this to the influence of pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations (CROs) in shaping the power dynamics of CDTs.
- The final chapter discusses the dualistic goals of healing and profit within the organization of the clinic. The author argues that the increasing influence of market-based medicine has prioritized profit over healing, leading to an inequality of power within medicine and a further dehumanization of doctor-patient relationships. This chapter highlights the ethical dilemmas associated with outsourcing CDTs to developing countries for economic gain.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The text focuses on the critical examination of clinical drug trials, exploring the power dynamics, ethical implications, and impact of medical discourse on patient autonomy and well-being. Key themes include the influence of Foucault's theories of power, truth, and language on the understanding of doctor-patient relationships within a biomedical context, the role of profit-driven motives in shaping medical practices, and the ethical considerations of outsourcing clinical trials to developing countries.
- Quote paper
- Lee Hooper (Author), 2012, The Power of Medical Discourse, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/233068
