Prevention is divided into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.

Primary prevention targets individuals who may be at risk to develop a medical condition and intervenes to prevent the onset of that condition. Examples include childhood vaccination programs, water fluoridation, anti-smoking programs, and education about safe sex.

Secondary prevention targets individuals who have developed an asymptomatic disease and institutes treatment to prevent complications. Examples include routine Papanicolaou tests and screening for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or hyperlipidemia.

Tertiary prevention targets individuals with a known disease, with the goal of limiting or preventing future complications. Examples include screening patients with diabetes for microalbuminuria, rigorous treatment of diabetes mellitus, and post-myocardial infarction prophylaxis with b-blockers and aspirin.” ABFM question critique

Further Reading

Roadmaps for clinical practice: A primer on population-based medicine. American Medical Association, 2002, pp 28-33.

Rakel RE, Rakel DP (eds):   Textbook of Family Medicine, ed 9. Elsevier Saunders, 2016, p 82.

print