The Importance Of Disease Prevention

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the major cause of death and is one among the 10 chronic diseases in the world2, 3. Center for Disease control and prevention (CDC) confirms the same for the United States (US). Recent figures (2014) showed that chronic diseases were the cause of 75% of deaths in the US, and approximately 25% of those deaths were due to CVDs4. Chronic diseases consume 86% of the total US health care expenditure whereas, CVDs occupy 17%5. Recent reports indicate that 1 out of every 3 individuals is dying due to a CVD and take up 1 out of every 6 dollars spent on healthcare in the United States. Scientists projected that cardiovascular healthcare expenditure is going to triple

To promote better health the US department of health developed Healthy People 2020 with objectives to promoting healthy lives. Their goals are for people to live a long healthy life and remove disparities (Health People 2020, 2015). There are three levels of health promotion prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary (Edelman & Mandle, 2014). Primary relates to preventing disease before it begins. Actions such as receiving an annual flu shot to prevent getting the flu, or eating healthy to prevent heart disease and weight control are included in primary prevention. Secondary prevention involves catching diseases early through screening. Some facilities will offer lung cancer screenings to catch the disease early to prevent worse outcomes. The third is tertiary which involves maintaining the best level of health possible with the disease or disability currently affecting a person. All three of these certainly

The first is primary prevention, which involves developing strategies to prevent risk factors and unhealthy behaviours. On a group level, this might include delivering educational programs for children and young people on topics like the dangers of tobacco use and underage drinking. On an individual level, nurses involved in primary prevention would teach people the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity, as well as the basics of how to achieve their health goals. These nurses might lead community outreach programs or talk at local schools. This care is usually considered to be public

Lastly, research published by the Milken Institute in 2007 suggested that even modest improvements in preventing and treating diseases could lead to forty (40) million fewer cases of chronic disease by 2023. This would decrease the economic impact of disease by 27%. Based on implications of the study, the researchers recommended

Many questions regarding good health, preventive medicine, and the way people practiced precautionary measures to maintain a fit and sustainable life on a daily basis have always crossed my mind since my days in high school. What if people were able to take serious measures to fight the many diseases and illnesses that tend to ravage our communities? What if there was a better way to show and teach people about the importance of practicing preventive medicine? The extent of time I spent doing my undergraduate studies in the biology department often had me think about the preventative methods of diseases and illnesses on a local and global basis, as well as some diseases in particular. My first inclination with biology and why I decided to

One of the easiest ways to stop an illness from occurring is through prevention. Therefore, a Lifeline screening is highly advisable. Each year, millions of people die prematurely from illnesses that could have been prevented. For example, various diseases such as lung cancer are preventable. Due to the influx of unhealthy lifestyles, more and more people are succumbing to these diseases. The combination of eating unhealthy foods with the lack of exercise fosters the blueprint for a disease such as diabetes.

This is a big part of the new health care policies. Healthcare professionals across the planet are looking for ways to prevent ailments before they ever

Before the health care reform, the common approach of care was writing prescriptions and performing procedures after a patient was already ill rather than focusing on preventing a patient from becoming ill or contracting debilitating and/or life threatening diseases and other illnesses. Going forward, times are changing and the insurance companies are now rewarding patients for being healthy with added benefits to promote health and wellness. The affordable care act has shifted the national approach of health care to prevention, early detection and safety as well as disease management. This shift of focus is a

In the United States (U.S.), chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability. Chronic disease activities are sparsely delivered in the U.S. despite the fact that 7 out of 10 deaths are caused by chronic diseases, every year; and 75% of our health care costs 75% of health care costs are attributable to preventable diseases.1,2 One main reason for this imbalance is that funding for chronic disease prevention activities is limited. In fact, only 3% of the U.S. total health expenditure is devoted to public health.3 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading federal agency for public health spends an estimated 70% of its budget on infection disease prevention and control, with less than 10% of its spending devoted to chronic disease prevention.4

Health promotion and disease prevention is a fairly new trend designed to preserve the health of Americans based on a public-private partnership (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Preventative care must be contemplated ahead of time, even when no symptoms are present (WFR, n.d.). Being educated and actively practicing preventive care is the best way to prevent diseases in the first place.

fourths of that spent directed at treating chronic diseases in 2006 (Goetzel, 2009). Poor health habits are a contributing factor to chronic diseases, which could be decreased if health habits are improved. Overall, the United States should spend more money on preventative care that would decrease chronic diseases and illnesses. Therefore, the cost of treating chronic illnesses would decrease. As important as managing national spending and funding is, the most important factor is the overall health of Americans. Providing preventative care that varies between racial and ethnic groups does not create a healthier society, but a society with more chronic illness and higher medical bills for its citizens.

Broad generalizations stating that preventative measures will greatly reduce future costs are exaggerated. A review of preventive measures in the New England Journal of Medicine found that less than 20 percent of 279 preventive measures saved money, the rest did not (Cohen, 2008). The study consisted of a “systematic review of the cost-effectiveness literature” that properly reduced future costs and benefits (Cohen, 2008, pg. 662). Still, many preventative measures are cost-effective in the sense that the improvement in health is worth the cost. Whether or not a particular intervention saves money is dependent on the prevention and the population in question. It is important to determine the costs and benefits of specific interventions in order to assess which particular preventative measures hold good or poor values. With increasingly limited resources, careful analysis should be conducted to identify opportunities for more efficient delivery of healthcare through the prevention of illnesses and disease.

Chronic disease is a burden for the healthcare authorities in U.S. due to the rising cost. Surely, the debilitating costly effects of chronic conditions is preventable. The economic effects of chronic disease extend beyond the cost of health care, evidence-based practice shows that disease prevention starting to all the people who are at risk of developing any chronic disease such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, respiratory diseases, arthritis, obesity, and oral diseases should be a priority for the healthcare authorities. To reduce cost and health disparities, there are certain measures that should be taking by the healthcare authorities. For example, access to a local comprehensive and quality health services is

Health Times strives to educate our readers about ways to live a long and healthy life! We are excited to present you with our latest issue covering Disease Prevention and Risk Reduction. Our contributors have written several articles detailing ways to prevent communicable diseases, to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases, and to increase personal safety at home and in the community. Our readers will benefit from the information and research included in this edition.

Infections disease prevention and control and communicable and infectious disease risks are important topics that every student nurse should be exposed to during the nursing program. The impact and threats that these infectious diseases cause an effect on society and global level should be studied. Also, the economic principles to nursing and health care that public health contributes to.