Medical fiction is fiction whose events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. It is highly prevalent on television, especially as medical dramas, as well as in novels.
The depiction of medical institutions and their staff has been considered important both for the influence it has on the perception of their real counterparts, and the role it can play in medical education. [1] [2] [3] Through their personal or collective experiences with specific diseases, medical institutions, and health professionals, the audience can relate to the situations depicted in medical fiction, contributing to the success of the genre. This familiarity with the subject matter requires a degree of realism in order "to avoid misinterpretations or false ideas about the medical institutional or professional practice". [1] [4]
Medical fiction also allows "the illustration and discussion of ethical dilemmas that are frequently not raised for reasons of discretion, embarrassment, or fear of retribution" in the scientific community. [5]
The Babyland General Hospital is a different type of fiction in the form of an actual building, where the procedure of birth and adoption is played out with Cabbage Patch Kids dolls in a converted former hospital. [6] [7] [8]
Alternatively, the term may refer to Narrative Medicine—stories written by medical professionals to help foster empathy and humanize the practice of medicine. [9]
Given the importance of healing and bodily transformations in general literature itself, the history of medical fiction arguably extends to the Greek civilization in the form of Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine. In myth, and in the general understanding of the Greek people, the god was said to heal individuals through his temple priests. [10]
One of the most well-known examples of medical fiction in dramaturgy is The Imaginary Invalid, written by Molière. The satire-comedy focuses on the medical profession and has a hypochondriac for its main character. The play lampoons the society of late 17th-century Paris, specifically the bourgeoisie, and is generally considered a piece of incisive social commentary. [11]
One of, if not the earliest examples of science fiction can be found in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The novel itself concerns the abominable creation of Dr. Victor Frankenstein as the character attempts to circumvent death through the creation of life. As a medical fiction text, it explores several ethical themes, such as the role of a doctor as the preserver of life, the ethics of attempting to create life in unnatural ways, and the logical extremes of playing God.
An 1889 entry from the British Medical Journal seems to mark a societal shift in England by where doctors began to gain a higher status in society, and reflects on the historical practice of satirizing medical practitioners through the work of authors like Laurence Sterne, Henry Fielding, and Tobias Smollett. [12] Four years later, the same journal would participate in the tradition of questioning medical accuracy in fiction, beginning by citing a request from Mark Twain to lecture on chemistry before the Royal Society, followed by a cursory dissection of various medical inaccuracies in, at the time, contemporary works of fiction. [13]
The 1900s by and large saw the rise of the "doctor novel" as a literary subgenre, which itself is a subset of, or otherwise synonymous with, medical fiction. [14]
A 2009 book, Doctors in Fiction: Lessons from Literature , discusses medical practitioners ranging from the late 12th century to the early 21st, including small analyzes of their particular time periods. [15]
Concerns have been raised by medical professionals regarding inaccuracies present in medical dramas, citing unrealistic expectations that they may impose on viewers in relation to rapid response times and unconventional treatment at emergency rooms. [16] These issues have been compounded by depictions of unprofessional behavior in shows like House (TV series), which, coupled with depictions of incorrect medical procedures, are said to have the possibility of imprinting negatively on medical students; nevertheless, critics and instructors argue these episodes might be used in academic settings to foster discussions on ethics, malpractice, and proper doctor-patient relationships. [17]
Regarding medical novels, similar criticisms of artistic liberties and inaccuracies have been levied, but nevertheless grant that the literature might increase interest in the medical field and its history. [18] In addition, attention has been directed towards the use of fiction as a useful tool for bioethicists to understand atypical and criminal behavior, such as the numerous murders by serial killer Harold Shipman. [19]
ABC's Grey's Anatomy is a medical drama that employs the use of medical romance heavily throughout its narrative. The series follows the life and medical practice of the titular Meredith Grey as she balances her own personal life with the demanding stress of hospital bureaucracy and practice. Beginning in 2005 and currently still in production in 2024, the series became the longest running medical drama in 2019. [23]
Medical research also features frequently in fiction. [20] In contrast to medical treatment it is depicted in an ambivalent or negative way in many cases. Often associated with future developments, testing of ethical boundaries, especially with regard to experimentation on living subjects, is a common topic and gives expression to "deep-seated fears and expectations connected to our own lives". [24] Notable examples are the mysterious Dharma Initiative from the TV series Lost , which follows a nefarious plan to influence humanity and employs characters of the mad scientist type, [25] and Project Cadmus from DC Comics, a shady agency conducting genetic experiments disregarding any ethical boundaries. [26] On the contrary S.T.A.R. Labs, also from DC Comics, is a research organization providing medical assistance to the heroes of the stories. So it is depicted in a generally positive light, but that presentation is foiled by a number of individual members conducting unethical experiments. [27]
The film Coma directed by Michael Crichton is a pioneer of the medical thriller.
Netflix's Ratched follows Nurse Ratched, the same character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The series explores her dark past and less-than-scrupulous behavior as a nurse, often employing murder and deceit to manipulate those around her in order to achieve her aims. The series appears to also humanize a typically unfavorably-viewed fictional character through the use of Ratched as a protagonist. [28] As a medical piece, it explores themes of medical malpractice for personal gain and the perversion of conventional roles of healing.
One of the most prominent examples of medical comedy is the American sitcom, Scrubs. The sitcom follows three medical interns on their journey through internship, residency, and ultimately become fully-fledged doctors. Often praised for its authenticity, the series occasionally tackled serious issues like infected organ donations, acceptance of death, and moral dilemmas. [29] The series was nominated for over 17 Emmys, of which it won two. [30]
Settings treating mental health issues are frequently portrayed negatively in fiction. [31] [32] In fiction depicting mental health institutions, like the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , revolt of the characters against control exercised by the institution is a common theme. [33] Another notable example is the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Batman comics: Hearkening back to the works of H. P. Lovecraft, it incorporates the "willful misremembering of historical madhouse regimes" into a contemporary setting, outwardly symbolized by a gothic-style building. It is a problematic depiction of mental illness as it both "trivializes the experience of going "mad"" and "demonstrates little interest in the actual workings of such institutions". [34] [32]
Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (novel) has been hailed as a dark, dystopian vision of a world where clones are used as organ harvesting farms. The book raises important medical themes about the personhood and agency of clones, layered with coming-of-age experiences that illustrate said personhood. [35] The piece has also been used to analyze issues of quality of life and how vocational work can help contextualize and process grief. [36]
An example of medical science fiction can be found in the science-fiction television episode "Ethics" in Star Trek: The Next Generation , in which one of the characters has his spinal cord replaced on a space station with a new one. [37] In another case, the television episode "Babel" in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine mentions aphasia—a real life disorder—brought on by a virus. [38] Aphasia concerns the "inability to understand or use written or spoken words," and is caused by a brain injury such as from a stroke, tumor, or infection. [39]
Anthony Hecht's poem, The Transparent Man, focuses on the patient experience of undergoing chemotherapy and the rationalization of death that may accompany the contraction of cancer.
Admission, Children's Unit is a poem written by Theodore Deppe that chronicles the treating of a child with cigarette burns on his body, inflicted by his mother's boyfriend. The poem deals with themes of religion and domestic abuse, and the nurse's reconciliation of the experience with his own recollection of St. Lawrence which he heard in high school. [40]
 | This article is missing information about the historical development of the genre and the role of novels, as well as more viewpoints in general.(February 2022) |
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is also characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior, often in a social context. Such disturbances may occur as single episodes, may be persistent, or may be relapsing–remitting. There are many different types of mental disorders, with signs and symptoms that vary widely between specific disorders. A mental disorder is one aspect of mental health.
Pediatrics also spelled paediatrics, is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth until the age of 18. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends people seek pediatric care through the age of 21, but some pediatric subspecialists continue to care for adults up to 25. Worldwide age limits of pediatrics have been trending upward year after year. A medical doctor who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician, or paediatrician. The word pediatrics and its cognates mean "healer of children", derived from the two Greek words: παῖς and ἰατρός. Pediatricians work in clinics, research centers, universities, general hospitals and children's hospitals, including those who practice pediatric subspecialties.
Anti-psychiatry, sometimes spelled antipsychiatry, is a movement based on the view that psychiatric treatment can be often more damaging than helpful to patients. The term anti-psychiatry was coined in 1912, and the movement emerged in the 1960s, highlighting controversies about psychiatry. Objections include the reliability of psychiatric diagnosis, the questionable effectiveness and harm associated with psychiatric medications, the failure of psychiatry to demonstrate any disease treatment mechanism for psychiatric medication effects, and legal concerns about equal human rights and civil freedom being nullified by the presence of diagnosis. Historical critiques of psychiatry came to light after focus on the extreme harms associated with electroconvulsive therapy and insulin shock therapy. The term "anti-psychiatry" is in dispute and often used to dismiss all critics of psychiatry, many of whom agree that a specialized role of helper for people in emotional distress may at times be appropriate, and allow for individual choice around treatment decisions.
Thomas Stephen Szasz was a Hungarian-American academic and psychiatrist. He served for most of his career as professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University. A distinguished lifetime fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a life member of the American Psychoanalytic Association, he was best known as a social critic of the moral and scientific foundations of psychiatry, as what he saw as the social control aims of medicine in modern society, as well as scientism.
Bioethics is both a field of study and professional practice, interested in ethical issues related to health, including those emerging from advances in biology, medicine, and technologies. It proposes the discussion about moral discernment in society and it is often related to medical policy and practice, but also to broader questions as environment, well-being and public health. Bioethics is concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, theology and philosophy. It includes the study of values relating to primary care, other branches of medicine, ethical education in science, animal, and environmental ethics, and public health.
Internal medicine, also known as general internal medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of internal diseases in adults. Medical practitioners of internal medicine are referred to as internists, or physicians in Commonwealth nations. Internists possess specialized skills in managing patients with undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes. They provide care to both hospitalized (inpatient) and ambulatory (outpatient) patients and often contribute significantly to teaching and research. Internists are qualified physicians who have undergone postgraduate training in internal medicine, and should not be confused with "interns", a term commonly used for a medical doctor who has obtained a medical degree but does not yet have a license to practice medicine unsupervised.
Biopsychosocial models are a class of trans-disciplinary models which look at the interconnection between biology, psychology, and socio-environmental factors. These models specifically examine how these aspects play a role in a range of topics but mainly psychiatry, health and human development.
Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and related scientific research. Medical ethics is based on a set of values that professionals can refer to in the case of any confusion or conflict. These values include the respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Such tenets may allow doctors, care providers, and families to create a treatment plan and work towards the same common goal. These four values are not ranked in order of importance or relevance and they all encompass values pertaining to medical ethics. However, a conflict may arise leading to the need for hierarchy in an ethical system, such that some moral elements overrule others with the purpose of applying the best moral judgement to a difficult medical situation. Medical ethics is particularly relevant in decisions regarding involuntary treatment and involuntary commitment.
Erotic asphyxiation is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. With a partner, the act often involves strangulation. The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done by a person to themself. Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a gasper. Erotic asphyxiation can lead to accidental death due to asphyxia.
Medicalization is the process by which human conditions and problems come to be defined and treated as medical conditions, and thus become the subject of medical study, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. Medicalization can be driven by new evidence or hypotheses about conditions; by changing social attitudes or economic considerations; or by the development of new medications or treatments.
Involuntary treatment refers to medical treatment undertaken without the consent of the person being treated. Involuntary treatment is permitted by law in some countries when overseen by the judiciary through court orders; other countries defer directly to the medical opinions of doctors.
Nosophobia, also known as disease phobia or illness anxiety disorder, is the irrational fear of contracting a disease, a type of specific phobia. Primary fears of this kind are fear of contracting HIV infection, pulmonary tuberculosis (phthisiophobia), sexually transmitted infections, cancer (carcinophobia), heart diseases (cardiophobia), COVID-19, and catching the common cold or flu.
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of deleterious mental conditions. These include various matters related to mood, behaviour, cognition, perceptions, and emotions.
Tia Powell is an American psychiatrist and bioethicist. She is Director of the Montefiore-Einstein Center for Bioethics and of the Einstein Cardozo Master of Science in Bioethics Program, as well as a Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in The Bronx, New York. She holds the Trachtenberg Chair in Bioethics and is Professor of Epidemiology, Division of Bioethics, and Psychiatry. She was director of Clinical Ethics at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City from 1992-1998, and executive director of the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law from 2004-2008.
Patient abuse or patient neglect is any action or failure to act which causes unreasonable suffering, misery or harm to the patient. Elder abuse is classified as patient abuse of those older than 60 and forms a large proportion of patient abuse.
Semen Fisheliovych Hluzman is a Ukrainian psychiatrist and human rights activist.
Psychiatry is, and has historically been, viewed as controversial by those under its care, as well as sociologists and psychiatrists themselves. There are a variety of reasons cited for this controversy, including the subjectivity of diagnosis, the use of diagnosis and treatment for social and political control including detaining citizens and treating them without consent, the side effects of treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy, antipsychotics and historical procedures like the lobotomy and other forms of psychosurgery or insulin shock therapy, and the history of racism within the profession in the United States.
Jessica Wilen Berg is an American attorney and specialist in Bioethics and Public Health Law. She is Dean and Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis School of Law. She previously served as co-Dean at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, the first female co-Dean or Dean in the law school's 129-year history. She is a reference book author in the area of informed consent. Her scholarly opinion is often reported by institutions and media on ethical aspects iof innovative biomedical procedures.
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