2.2.1: Three Types of Prevention
Primary prevention works to prevent a disease, condition, or injury from ever happening in the first place. This may include creating policies, researching and developing vaccines and preventative measures, and developing preventative programs Some examples include:
- smoking bans in public places (to prevent lung disease),
- enforcing food-safety regulations in agricultural and food processing (to prevent food-borne illnesses),
- making critical vaccines free - especially for vulnerable groups (to prevent infectious diseases),
- designing traffic flow patterns (to reduce vehicle accidents),
- providing accurate health information to the public (such as recommendations for nutrition and physical activity).
Many primary prevention programs and policies can also improve health-related quality of life for apparently healthy individuals too. DPP example*
Secondary prevention kicks in after the disease, condition, or injury has occurred already in some part of the population. This type of prevention can help prevent further health issues or transmission of the disease. Such actions could include:
- quarantine measures for individuals with an infectious disease to prevent them from spreading it to others,
- screening programs for the early detection of cancers to help patients initiate treatment sooner,
- seatbelts and airbags in cars to help prevent injuries when car accidents do happen,
- referral to a diabetes prevention program (DPP) for people with pre-diabetes, which can help slow the progression of this chronic disease.
Although secondary prevention may not necessarily prevent a negative health event from occurring, it can lessen the impact to both the individual and to the community.
Tertiary prevention aims to reduce the hardship and disability experienced by individuals with the disease or injury with medical and rehabilitation services. Although this sounds like medical treatment (which it can be), the overarching purpose of tertiary prevention is to prevent subsequent issues from causing even more harm. Some examples might include:
- ensuring adequate hospital beds are available during an epidemic,
- researching, developing, testing, and approving new treatment methods for specific diseases,
- providing physical therapy for wounded veterans,
- providing court-ordered mental health and drug rehabilitation programs.
We might think of tertiary prevention as being the role of the medical field, but public health plays an integral role in ensuring health services are funded and delivered to those in need.