Public Health and Health Promotion

Primary prevention measures include activities that help avoid a given health care problem. Examples include passive and active immunization against disease as well as health protecting education and counseling promoting the use of automobile passenger restraints and bicycle helmets. Since successful primary prevention helps avoid the suffering, cost and burden associated with disease, it is typically considered the most cost-effective form of health care.

Secondary prevention measures as those that identify and treat asymptomatic persons who have already developed risk factors or preclinical disease but in whom the condition is not clinically apparent. These activities are focused on early case findings of asymptomatic disease that occurs commonly and has significant risk for negative outcome without treatment. Screening tests are examples of secondary prevention activities, as these are done on those without clinical presentation of disease that has a significant latency period such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, breast and prostate cancer. With early case finding, the natural history of disease or how the course of an illness unfolds over time without treatment can often be altered to maximize well-being and minimize suffering.

Tertiary prevention activities involve the care of established disease, with attempts made to restore to highest function, minimize the negative effects of disease, and prevent disease-related complications. Since the disease is now established, primary prevention activities may have been unsuccessful. Early detection through secondary prevention may have minimized the impact of the disease.

Due Date: Nov 03, 2013 23:59:59 Max Points: 100

Details:
From the GCU Library, select and review three recent (published within the last five years) journal articles (one of each of the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of health promotion) in nursing practice.
Prepare an essay (750-1,000) words in which you review and compare the three articles you have selected for this assignment. Address the following:
1) How is health promotion defined?
Health Promotion is defined by the means of assisting people to gain the best quality of health. This definition can be defined in ways of education, screening, vaccinating, and follow-up care. Health promotion takes place in a variety of areas and on several levels of care. It could take place at the Primary Care Physicians office, or at the local Emergency Room. It could take place at the pharmacy while a patient is picking up a prescription, or during an interview of upcoming medical services needed. There is also different level of cares that are involved with the promotion of health. First there is a primary care level, which attempts to avoid an upcoming health care problem, or disease pattern. At times, one could describe this level as the preventative level, such as a check up or general health screening exam.
Second, there is a secondary level of care. This level of care is a little more specified because it looks at developing risk factors of a disease process. For example, if there was a strong history of diabetes in a family, and a family member presented to the local primary care physician office for a follow up exam, only to reveal that her was overweight,; there might be concerned drawn for the continued development of diabetes. The risk factors would be presented in this office visit and therefore a harder look at the prevention process would be initiated. Also in the secondary level of care, continued or follow-up clinical test can be performed to help track and trend ones progress or regress.
Third, is the tertiary level of care. This is where the disease process or issue has shown its face, and it is now time to be reactive instead of proactive. At this level of care, the patient would be explained the possibility of risks, and a thorough evaluation would be completed to give the patient the best outcome. When the disease process gets to this point, the pother primary and secondary means of prevention have failed. With the tertiary level of care, continued follow-up and evaluation would need to be established to avoid any worsening of the disease process or worse, additional attributes that would negatively affect the patient.
2) What is the purpose of health promotion in nursing practice?
3) How are nursing roles and responsibilities evolving in health promotion?
4) Explain the implementation methods for health promotion that encompasses all areas of nursing.
5) Compare the three levels of health promotion prevention.
This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.
Prepare this assignment according the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.