All of us have heard the saying that "prevention is better than cure" and we know how true the maxim rings for all and sundry. Those who lead a healthy lifestyle are much less likely to fall prey to a host of diseases. In order to keep people healthy, all physicians practice the trend of preventive medicine. In fact this is a branch of medicine that is given special recognition under the American Board of Medical Specialities. It focuses on the health and well being of not just individuals, but defined populations and communities as well. Death, disability and disease can be given a big fight today thanks to this branch.
The Scope of Preventive Medicine
Those who specialise in the field of preventive medicine are doctors who have a big contribution to the society because they use their knowledge base and the skills they have acquired from studying not just medicinal science but also social and economic as well as behavioural sciences. This is primarily the reason why such medical practitioners are to be found on the boards that plan health care services, research the cause of diseases affecting a particular demographic group and on the management board of several health care organisations.
Several years of research have gone into the field of preventive medicine and a lot of literature pertaining to it can be read in internet medical journals. A lot of articles on internet medicine claim time and again that preventive medicine is a way to save healthcare costs. While it is true that it can help those who are prone to lifestyle diseases, it does not always save healthcare costs. In fact, it could be quite the other way round.
An internet medical journal about five years ago had predicted that if a large majority, say 90 per cent of Americans were to use preventive services, it would save only 0.2 per cent of the total healthcare costs of the entire nation. Some immunizations especially those pertaining to children may be cost saving because they are cheap, but when it comes to say something like screenings for diseases such as prostate cancer, it sure does not amount to any benefits. The second and perhaps more important reason why preventive medicine does not lead to major health savings is a large number of people need to avail of preventive services in order to avert or eliminate a particular disease.
Preventive Medicine May Add To Your Healthcare Costs
Prevention itself costs a lot of money and when it comes to expensive screenings they might actually add to the overall healthcare costs. An online medical association claims that for a few patients who show early symptoms of a disease, preventive medicine may be of use, but it is surely not possible to screen thousands of patients to find the likelihood or the onset of a disease.
So, if you are looking for an answer to the question "will preventive medicine save healthcare costs", the straight answer is no. However, this does not mean that you should avoid the occasional screenings, but when you do, you should make judicious use of them.
Click here to know more on Internet Medical Journal.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shalini_Mittal
Posted in: 
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment