WK 1- LIFESTYLE MEDICINE AND PREVENTION

Question 1

What is the difference between screening and diagnosis

Answer 1

Screening= allows you to determine the RISK of someone developing a disorder
Diagnosis=determines whether the person has the disorder or not
-You can use the same test to screen and diagnose

Question 2

What is an example of screening and diagnosis

Answer 2

Eg. Breast cancer
Screening= taking family history relating to breast cancer
Diagnostic= mammogram
-a mammogram in this case is both a screening and diagnostic tool

Question 3

What are 2 approaches to health prevention

Answer 3

1. Individual strategies

2. Population strategies

Question 4

Describe individual/high risk prevention strategies

-What are some advantages/disadvantages/limitations of this approach

Answer 4

HIGH RISK-> keeps with the medical model of individualism- selects individuals who are at high risk of developing a disease and involves strategies that are appropriate to that individual (eg. strategies to lower BP)
Advantages: cost effective, favourable risk-benefit ratio, able to monitor individual progress (keeps pt motivated)
Disadvantages: underlying cause can still remain (eg. high BP may be lowered, but access to fatty foods still remains), costs of screening
Limitation: prevention paradox, difficult to predict absolute risk of an individual (as it only works on populations)

Question 5

Describe population based strategies

-What are some advantages/disadvantages/limitations of this approach

Answer 5

PUBLIC HEALTH-> applies to health prevention affecting entire population and attempts to control the determinants/reduce the cause of disease. Can involve environmental/social changes-> ie. controlling where people can smoke (changing legislation and social norms)-> influences behaviour and prevents beginning of smoking-> more effective than targeting individual smokers
Advantages: can address more than one disease, behaviourally appropriate, larger gain
Disadvantages: limited benefit to the individual, can be hard to notice change and stay motivated

Question 6

What is the prevention paradox

Answer 6

Refers to a small risk in a large population will have more people affected when compared to a large risk in a small population
eg. smokers and lung cancer
Risk of developing lung cancer is extremely high in smokers, but as smokers make up a smaller population, there are essentially more non-smokers who develop lung cancer

Question 7

What are 5 successful population based strategies

Answer 7

1. Vaccination
2. Motor vehicle accidents
3. Anti-smoking campaign
4. Food safety
5. Fluoridation of water

Question 8

What are the 5 screening guidlines

Answer 8

1. The disease should be a burden on the individual and the community in terms of death, suffering, economic or social cost
2. The natural course of the disease should be well known and must be able to be determined by risk factors which can be detected by appropriate tests
3. Test must be highly sensitive and specific for the disease as well as being acceptable to the pt being screened
4. Treatment and intervention possibilities must be effective and indispensable
5. Screening followed by diagnosis and intervention in early stage of the disease should provide a better prognosis than intervention after spontaneously sough treatment

Question 9

What are the 3 different ways of thinking about prevention

Answer 9

1. Health protection
2. Disease prevention
3. Health promotion