Preventive Medicine Research Introduced
Preventive medicine is a discipline that puts its focus on the promotion of well-being and health and the prevention of disease. In the US and Europe, it is a board specialty, meaning that doctors can concentrate on it while they are studying for their degrees. They can then use their research along with the skills they acquire in school to improve the public's health, reduce the prevalence of disease and improve people's quality of life. In Western countries, preventive medicine falls under the umbrella of public health; in Eastern countries, some doctors focus solely on preventive medicine. Some Western doctors face criticism for not doing more preventive medicine research; they don't because in most cases it is not reimbursable by insurance.
When preventive medicine is used on a population-wide basis, it includes aspects such as pest control, food safety, vaccines, improvements in hygiene, and work in public health. There are a number of different sub-specialties within preventive medicine, and doctors in developing countries who focus on it concentrate on improving living conditions as a way to prevent disease outbreak. In Western countries, preventive medicine research includes epidemiology teams and monitoring of food supplies.
When preventive medicine is researched and practiced individually, it involves looking at the whole body rather than its individual parts. Many Eastern medicine disciplines already take this approach, and those that practice Chinese medicine work with patients to keep balance and health in the body. Ways to treat the whole body include herbs, psychotherapy, massage, and changes in diet. The West has been slow to accept the value of preventive medicine, but with the rising obesity rate, doctors are beginning to incorporate some of these therapies into their practices.
Preventive medicine has a long worldwide history; it dates back hundreds of years from the first time people realized that drinking dirty water made them sick, and that cleaner conditions helped keep them well. Progress in preventive medicine research has been slow but steady; in the twentieth century, the US' Centers for Disease Control was founded. Establishments like this began setting guidelines for the prevention of disease transmission, the improvement of hygiene, and rapid response to disease outbreaks.
Along with science and medicine, preventive medicine research also looks at socioeconomic issues. People in some areas are more at risk for disease than others; many psychologists and sociologists work in preventive medicine to help those with low education and income. Organizations that support preventive medicine work with people in these nations so that everyone can enjoy disease-free, healthy lives.