UNDERSTANDING PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE: HOW DOCTORS CAN HELP MALAYSIANS ON THE SIGNIFICANCE

The value of preventative healthcare is frequently discussed with our patients, but insurance companies typically resist paying for even the most sensible and effective procedures and testing for illness prevention. We require readily available illustrations of preventative health in order to properly aid our patients and deal with insurance companies. These instances are potent, motivating, and touching. To promote healthier living, people practice these daily in the actual world, and the outcome speak for themselves.

You can make interaction with your patients more comfortably by talking to them and bringing up socially taboo subjects like STD prevention and personal cleanliness. Your language and examples are also noteworthy. These instances of preventative care can definitely help you sympathise when patients ask those important “by the way…” inquiries as you’re leaving the exam room.

Understanding Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Preventative Health Measures

As your patients may suspect (and debate with you about), not all preventative health measures are created equally.

Primary Preventative Health Measures

Although simple and efficient, primary prevention techniques can still need support in the present socio-political climate. As a doctor, it is primarily your responsibility to educate patients about vaccines, a clear means of illness prevention. Thanks to the internet, you have a lot to deal with, including general false information and arrogant “experts.” Patients experience a nightmare scenario and dread as a result of this, especially when it is combined with the difficulty of obtaining healthcare in our country.

 Secondary Preventative Health Measures

As most people are aware, even if you live the healthiest lifestyle, you will eventually have some health issues. This is a category that many patients find unexpectedly challenging to follow, encouraging general wellness. For instance, many Malaysians struggle with the challenges of working long hours in low-paying sedentary employment. Some people lack consistent access to fresh, wholesome food because they reside in remote locations. Others lack access to the necessary drugs.

Education is crucial in this case once more. Disease screening can assist you and your patients in identifying dangerous conditions like heart disease in their early stages. The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that education about general wellness has helped reduce the mortality rate from heart disease by 25%. While you might only have a short amount of time with each patient, you can point them in the direction of reliable and informative online sources. You can have a wealth of knowledge at your disposal and helpful links on your page to discuss heart-healthy meals and advised activities with a little bit of forward planning.

Tertiary Preventative Measures

The longer-term, systemic improvements that can improve patients’ health should also be made known to them. They still have options because not everyone will or can utilise both primary and secondary preventative health treatments. Tertiary interventions aim to stop issues from getting worse and frequently need support from persons other than your patient. An illustration would be a patient with a persistent injury. Although they may benefit from muscle relaxants and physical therapy, the injury may not be completely treatable, or they may not have coverage that will fund the required surgery. In situations like this, the patient’s life should be given imaginative answers. By giving the patient the employer’s documentation, for instance, you can get around the problem.

Long-term community solutions like bereavement counselling are also included in tertiary measures since they help lessen the stress that harms your patient’s life and health. Finally, there are numerous populations that are at risk and have unique needs and histories. They value preventive health, yet their stories are frequently forgotten. Veterans, senior citizens and the homeless are examples of these groups. Your entire community may benefit from focusing more preventative health-related inquiries and actions on vulnerable populations, in addition to individual patients.

Prathiban Periasammy

Resident Medical Officer

Aurelius Healthcare Nilai