Key Disease Prevention Terms in Medical Vocabulary

Primary Prevention

Primary prevention aims to reduce the incidence of disease before onset (Dona et al., 2021). It focuses on preventing the occurrence of diseases and promoting overall health.

Health Promotion

Activities aimed at improving overall health and well-being, such as:

• Physical activity programs
• Healthy eating initiatives
• Stress management techniques

Example: Kaiser Permanente's 'Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zones' initiative (Dona et al., 2021)

Risk Factor Reduction

Identifying and mitigating factors that increase the likelihood of developing a disease, such as:

• Smoking cessation programs
• Blood pressure management
• Cholesterol reduction strategies

Immunization

Vaccination programs to prevent infectious diseases before they occur

Secondary Prevention

Secondary prevention aims to detect and address diseases at very early stages to prevent progression (Dona et al., 2021). It focuses on early detection and prompt intervention.

Screening Programs

Regular health checks to detect diseases in their early stages, such as:

• Mammograms for breast cancer
• Colonoscopies for colorectal cancer
• Blood glucose tests for diabetes

Early Intervention

Prompt treatment of detected conditions to prevent progression, such as:

• Medication for hypertension
• Lifestyle modifications for pre-diabetes
• Counseling for mental health issues

Tertiary Prevention

Tertiary prevention focuses on managing manifest diseases and their complications to improve quality of life (Dona et al., 2021). It aims to reduce the impact of ongoing illness or injury that has lasting effects.

Disease Management

Strategies to effectively manage chronic conditions, such as:

• Diabetes management programs
• Cardiac rehabilitation
• Chronic pain management

Rehabilitation

Programs to restore function and improve quality of life, such as:

• Physical therapy after stroke
• Occupational therapy for injury recovery
• Speech therapy for communication disorders

Key Concepts in Prevention

Health Risk Assessment

Systematic approach to collecting information from individuals to evaluate health risks and quality of life (Dona et al., 2021)

Behavioral Interventions

Strategies aimed at modifying health-related behaviors, such as:

• Motivational interviewing
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Health coaching (Dona et al., 2021)

Population Health Management

Approaches to improving health outcomes of a group by monitoring and identifying individual patients within that group

Emerging Trends in Disease Prevention

Personalized Medicine

Tailoring medical treatment to individual characteristics of each patient (Zhao, 2023)

Digital Health Interventions

Use of technology to support health promotion and disease prevention, such as:

• Mobile health apps
• Wearable devices
• Telemedicine platforms

Social Determinants of Health

Addressing factors like education, income, and environment that influence health outcomes

Importance of Comprehensive Assessment

Thorough evaluation of an individual's health status, including:

• Medical history
• Family history
• Lifestyle factors
• Psychoactive substance use history (Ciccirillo et al., 2023)