Question

Explain how health care reform has helped shift the focus from a disease-oriented health care system to one of wellness and prevention. Discuss ways in which health care will continue this trend and explain the role of nursing in supporting and facilitating this shift.

Answer 1

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.

Nowadays we all are adopting or encouraging the “prevention of diseases” rather than its cure. Preventive care measures such as immunizations and disease screenings have better health and lower health care costs.

By focusing on prevention, we can save thousands of lives in a year. Community-based programs have an essential role in promoting preventive services and overcoming the barriers to prevent services of transportation, navigation issues, etc.

The priority areas of preventive measures as identified by the national prevention strategy are tobacco free-living, reproductive health, mental and emotional health, healthy eating, etc.

Role of nursing

• Educate people to avoid illness and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
• Prevention means to stop diseases before they actually start and nurses have a very important role in informing people about the same.
• They have a role in improving the health of people through evidence-based recommendations.
• Nurses also encourage preventive measures like screenings and counselings.
• They also promote regular exercises to combat cardiovascular diseases.
• Weight management education is also given by nurses as an effective prevention method.
• Avoidance education of smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.