Subjectivization of the Illness Experience as a Humanistic Paradigm of Modern Medicine

In modern society one may observe a shift of high-tech medicine towards a humanistic reflection of medical science and practice. The domain of medicine today is more sensitive to the «latent» questions of clinical practice. Problems concerning individualization and humanization of hightech medicine are considered. Theoretical concepts developed in the framework of humanistic medicine focusing on the subjective experience of illness are analyzed.

Keywords: illness experience, disease, humanistic model of medicine, narrative medicine, phenomenology of illness, biomedical model of illness, doctor-patient relationship, meaning, being-in-the-world, alienation.