According to Dr. Davis-Floyd, the primary characteristic of the technocratic model is the separation of the mind and body. She argues that such an approach tends to objectify the patient, as it encourages the body as machine metaphor.
Death is avoided at all costs, and when it does results it is seen as a defeat.
The patient is not given authority nor any responsibility for his own recovery, rather the practitioner solely relies on science and technology. She provided examples of how such an approach can lead to adverse affects for the patient. For instance, pregnant women are often led to believe that they are sick, which may play a role in the manifestation of pain. This also, she stated, prevents them from seeing the validity of other healing modalities. Their professors and clinical instructors often do not treat them as humans, and thus they cannot be expected to treat their patients humanely.