Quaternary prevention in the GP`s/family physician`s office

Abstract:

Quaternary prevention implies measures to protect a person from medical interventionse that could cause more harm than good. The turnaround in traditional preventive medicine arose at the moment when the prevention became commercialized (regular systematic check-ups, extensive lab analyses, certain lifestyles are presented as a guarantee of longevity). A recent review of the Cochrane database the 2019 data shows that systematic health checks do not reduce CV mortality, ischaemic heart disease or stroke, and the effect on mortality and mortality from cancer is almost negligible. However, if specific preventive measures are applied to certain population groups (stratified by gender, age, risk factors), better results could be achieved. It is necessary to correctly interprete the estimated risks and not to fall into the trap of medicalization. Knowledge is the best tool in quaternary prevention.

Key words:
general/family medicine; medicalization; physical examination; quaternary prevention; rationalization in healthcare