Prevention-oriented health policy is a modern medical practice, the main goal of which is to prevent chronic diseases. It is possible due to early detection and timely correction of imbalances in the body, which would lead to various conditions and pathologies, and their complications. In the past centuries, the main goal of doctors was to save lives since people were dying from injuries, wounds, and acute diseases. Nowadays, most visits to doctors are associated with treating chronic conditions: cardiovascular, endocrinological, neurological, allergic, etc.
And here, the early diagnosis comes to the fore, which allows doctors to begin timely treatment. However, in most cases, the doctor starts treatment when the disease has already developed. “In 2014, 60% of adult Americans had at least one chronic disease or condition, and 42% had multiple diseases” (Buttorff et al., 2017). Chronic diseases are the main factor that influences the development of preventive medicine. However, “willingness of patients to seek out and engage in preventive care” (Levine et al., 2019) is another crucial factor in preventive policy implementation. Preventive medicine considers the human body as a whole, as a single open system, and thinks of the deep biochemical processes occurring at the level of cells and the level of organs and the whole organism. The main principle of preventive medicine is not passive waiting for the disease and its subsequent treatment but the implementation of preventive measures long before it begins. Preventative medicine is aimed precisely at minimizing the risks of developing the disease and its complications, preserving the health and youth of a person for many years.
Advanced practice nurses (APN) play a significant role in preventive medicine. “Most nurses— up to 90 percent — are prepared in primary care and can manage 80 percent to 90 percent of the care provided by physicians” (Van Vleet & Paradise, 2015). With the help of APN’s, the patient learns about their body, understands what negatively affects their health and what improves it, and, most importantly, learns to manage these processes themselves. While physicians concentrate on diagnosis and treatment plans, APN’s can focus on holistic approaches and preventive measures.
References
Buttorff, C., Ruder, T., & Bauman, M. (2017). Multiple chronic conditions in the United States (Vol. 10). Santa Monica, CA: Rand.
Van Vleet, A., & Paradise, J. (2015). Tapping nurse practitioners to meet rising demand for primary care. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2021
Levine, S., Malone, E., Lekiachvili, A., & Briss, P. (2019). Health care industry insights: why the use of preventive services is still low. Preventing chronic disease, 16.