Quaternary Prevention, an Answer of Family Doctors to Overmedicalization

Document Type : Perspective

Author

Espace Temps, Maison de Santé, Charleroi, Belgium, and Department of General Practice, University of Liege, Liège, Belgium

Abstract

In response to the questioning of Health Policy and Management (HPAM) by colleagues on the role of rank and file family physicians in the same journal, the author, a family physician in Belgium, is trying to highlight the complexity and depth of the work of his colleagues and their contribution to the understanding of the organization and economy of healthcare. It addresses, in particular, the management of health elements throughout the ongoing relationship of the family doctor with his/her patients. It shows how the three dimensions of prevention, clearly included in the daily work, are complemented with the fourth dimension, quaternary prevention or prevention of medicine itself, whose understanding could help to control the economic and human costs of healthcare.

Highlights

Commentaries Published on this Paper

  • Quaternary Prevention and the Challenges to Develop a Good Practice; Comment on “Quaternary Prevention, an Answer of Family Doctors to Overmedicalization”

            Abstract | PDF

  • Care and Do Not Harm: Possible Misunderstandings With Quaternary Prevention (P4); Comment on “Quaternary Prevention, an Answer of Family Doctors to Over Medicalization”

            Abstract | PDF

  • The Difficult Choice of “Not Doing”; Comment on “Quaternary Prevention, an Answer of Family Doctors to Overmedicalization”

            Abstract | PDF

  • Because of Science You Also Die...; Comment on “Quaternary Prevention, an Answer of Family Doctors to Over Medicalization”

            Abstract | PDF

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 30 November 2014
  • Revise Date: 04 February 2015
  • Accept Date: 02 February 2015
  • First Publish Date: 02 February 2015

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