Implications of Stages of Prevention to Management of Chronic Conditions

Implications of Stages of Prevention to Management of Chronic Conditions

Primary prevention aims to prevent a population or individual from developing a disease or condition. This might include health promotion activities aimed at building awareness of the link between behaviors and diseases (e.g., the link between condom use and prevention of HIV/AIDs). Unfortunately, not all diseases/conditions are captured at this primary stage and are instead identified at the secondary or tertiary stages of disease.

Secondary prevention includes screenings and tests to identify disease at the earliest stages. At the primary and secondary prevention stage, the possibility of behavior change and mitigation of inherent risks is better managed.

Tertiary prevention tends to fall on complete management of the disease. This stage is important as well in managing the quality of life of the individual and the impact on the population.

At the secondary and tertiary stages, there are still ways to manage the disease and improve quality of life, but the costs begin to rise.

Classifying stages of prevention is an important aspect of developing best practices and programs to meet the needs of the population. A clear understanding of where the at-risk population is in the process enhances the ability to make interventions that are effective and reliable. Health practitioners must develop skills to identify what stage would be most effective in a given disease, population, and budget.

To Prepare:

Review the following scenario, reflected in the media for this and previous weeks, Juanita’s Story (Laureate Education, 2018):

Juanita is a 35-year-old female Mexican-American immigrant. She has recently had some symptoms consistent with diabetes.

Think about the implications of Juanita having diabetes at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. How might her different stages of change affect her motivations to seek treatment at the various stages?

Consider:

What would Juanita’s disease look like in the various stages of prevention? How would it affect her daily life, diet, ability to function, and so forth?

What factors would contribute to the differentiation between the stages?

What are the implications of the three stages of Juanita’s condition?

How might these implications translate to other chronic diseases and conditions at a population level?

By Day 3

Post an explanation of the implications of primary, secondary, and tertiary stages of prevention to the management of chronic diabetes. Include relevance of the stages to such aspects as health, society, finances, and impact on daily life. Be specific and provide examples.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

Suggest another implication of a primary, secondary, or tertiary stage to the management of chronic diabetes.

Suggest how your colleague’s explanation of an implication of stages of prevention to chronic diabetes relates to your own chosen chronic disease or condition at a population level.

Expand on a colleague’s post by offering additional insights.