Preventative Medicine

The American Board of Medical Specialists recognizes 24 different medical specialties. One of those is the area of preventive medicine. Preventive medicine or preventive care is a type of medicine that involves preventing diseases or injuries rather than treating and curing them once they occur.

Preventive medicine is different from both curative medicine and public health methods. Preventive medicine is different from public health methods because it works at the level of individual health rather than at the level of the entire population’s health. Curative medicine, with its focus on curing people once they have contracted something, is different from preventive medicine, which tries to prevent people from contracting a disease in the first place.

The efforts of those engaged in preventive medicine occur at three different levels. The levels are primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary prevention level is the broadest. It seeks to avoid the development of a disease completely. The majority of population-based health measures, like public health endeavors, take place at this level.

Secondary prevention focuses on detecting diseases early. Early detection increases the opportunities for intervention to stop the spread or the progression of the disease. It also works to prevent the emergence of new symptoms.

Finally, tertiary prevention works to reduce the impact a disease has on a given area of the body. It seeks to restore function and reduces disease-related complications.

Contact a Pennsylvania Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you have been injured by a doctor or a hospital’s negligence, contact the Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., at 610-667-7511.