HSC 3211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Protective Factor, Interrupt
Document Summary
Field and clinical trials aim to study whether or not certain preventive or medical measures favorable affect natural history of disease. Identify risk factors or protective factor: genetic make-up, demographic traits of individual, environmental, nutritional, social, immunological, behavioral. Possible window of opportunity: early detection and treatment can result in prevention or slowed progression of disease, better patient outcomes or treatment efficacy or even chance of a cure. Symptomatic stage (stage of clinical disease and stage of recovery, disability or death) Levels of prevention (leavell"s levels: primordial, primary (promote health, secondary, tertiary, quaternary. Reduce or eliminate risk factors, increase protective factors, prevent pathologic process from occurring. Health promotion: for individuals with no know risk factors, nonmedical efforts: lifestyle, nutrition, exercise. Specific protection: for individuals with known risk factors, specific disease, or injury, immunizations, pharmaceutical treatment, protective devices. Useful in latent disease stage: disease/injury is detectable but asymptomatic. Interrupt natural course of disease before becoming symptomatic.
