Introduction to Health Assessment
3. Level of Preventive Care
Health promotion and disease prevention are necessary to improve health at both the individual and the population level. Nurses have a vital role in all three levels of health care, and assessment skills are needed at all levels. Preventive healthcare can be classified as: -
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
In Primary Preventive Care, nurses use assessment skills to screen and identify patient education needs about wellness and the risk factors for health problems. Mainly focuses on health promotion and guards against health problems. Examples include: health fairs, immunizations, and nutritional instructions.
Secondary Preventive Care
In Secondary Preventive Care, accurate assessment is crucial to establish the patient’s baseline and to continually monitor his or her condition and response to treatment. Mainly focuses on early detection prompt intervention, and health maintenance for patients with health problems. Examples include acute health problems seen with inpatient hospitalization.
Tertiary Preventive Care
In Tertiary Preventive Care, although the patient’s health status is generally more stable than in secondary care, patients usually have a chronic illness. Assessment skills are needed to continually monitor health status. Mainly focuses on rehabilitative or extended care. Examples include skilled nursing care facilities; rehabilitative hospitals; long-term care facilities; home care; Hospice.