Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Internal Clinic, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Sep 5;60(9):1456. doi: 10.3390/medicina60091456.
Technology is increasingly shaping human life, particularly in healthcare, where recent advancements have revolutionized patient care. Despite these advances, the World Health Organization's (WHO) definition of health remains rooted in traditional notions, raising questions about its adequacy in light of technological progress. This paper explores the conceptual and practical limitations of the current definition and argues for its revision to encompass the role of technology in health. This paper examines the evolving landscape of healthcare technology and its philosophical implications, drawing on theories such as the Extended Health Hypothesis and the Extended Mind Hypothesis. It claims that health extends beyond traditional biological boundaries and includes the influence of technology on well-being. This paper advocates for a re-examination of the WHO definition of health to reflect the integral role of technology in modern healthcare. Recognizing technology as part of health necessitates a broader conceptual framework that acknowledges the interconnectedness of biology, technology, and human well-being. Given technology's transformative role in healthcare, this paper argues for a revaluation of the WHO's definition of health to encapsulate the evolving relationship between technology and human well-being. At the end, we propose a new definition recognizing that health is a dynamic state of physical, mental, social, and technological well-being, wherein individuals can achieve optimal quality of life through the harmonious integration of biological, psychological, and technological factors. This state encompasses not only the absence of disease but also the effective utilization of advanced technologies.
技术正在日益塑造人类生活,尤其在医疗保健领域,最近的进步彻底改变了患者护理。尽管有这些进步,但世界卫生组织(WHO)的健康定义仍然根植于传统观念,这引发了对其在技术进步背景下是否充分的质疑。本文探讨了当前定义的概念和实践局限性,并主张对其进行修订,以纳入技术在健康中的作用。本文考察了医疗保健技术的不断发展的格局及其哲学含义,借鉴了扩展健康假说和扩展心智假说等理论。它声称健康超越了传统的生物界限,包括技术对幸福感的影响。本文主张重新审视世界卫生组织的健康定义,以反映技术在现代医疗保健中的不可或缺作用。将技术视为健康的一部分需要一个更广泛的概念框架,承认生物学、技术和人类福祉的相互关联性。鉴于技术在医疗保健中的变革性作用,本文主张重新评估世界卫生组织对健康的定义,以包含技术与人类福祉之间不断发展的关系。最后,我们提出了一个新的定义,承认健康是身体、心理、社会和技术福祉的动态状态,个人可以通过生物、心理和技术因素的和谐整合实现最佳生活质量。这种状态不仅包括没有疾病,还包括有效利用先进技术。