At the borders of medical reasoning: aetiological and ontological challenges of medically unexplained symptoms

Philosophy, Ethics, and Humanities in Medicine

Rani Lill Anjum²  Svein Anders Noer Lie³  Stephen Mumford²  Roger Kerry¹  Thor Eirik Eriksen⁴ 

[1] Department of Philosophy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK;UMB School of Economics and Business, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway;Department of Philosophy, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway;The Department of Work and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway

关键词: Dispositions;    Philosophy;    Ontology;    Phenomenology;    Epistemology;    Causation;    Medically unexplained symptoms;   

Others  :  816414
DOI  :  10.1186/1747-5341-8-11

 received in 2013-01-11, accepted in 2013-09-02,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Eriksen et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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