Preventive medicine is practiced by all physicians to keep their patients healthy. It is also a unique medical specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Preventive medicine focuses on the health of individuals, communities, and defined populations. Its goal is to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being and to prevent disease, disability, and death.
Preventive medicine specialists are licensed medical doctors (MD) or doctors of osteopathy (DO), who possess core competencies in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental and occupational medicine, planning and evaluation of health services, management of health care organizations, research into causes of disease and injury in population groups, and the practice of prevention in clinical medicine. They apply knowledge and skills gained from the medical, social, economic, and behavioral sciences.
Preventive medicine has three specialty areas with common core knowledge, skills, and competencies that emphasize different populations, environments, or practice settings: aerospace medicine, occupational medicine, and public health and general preventive medicine. ACPM members generally focus on public health and general preventive medicine, but many of our members are double or triple board-certified in multiple specialty areas.
According to the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), preventive medicine focuses on the health of individuals, communities, and defined populations. The goal of preventive medicine is to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being and to prevent disease, disability, and death.
Preventive medicine has three specialty areas: aerospace medicine, occupational medicine, and public health and general preventive medicine.
Occupational medicine, along with public health and general preventive medicine, are the areas that apply to most people.
Occupational medicine focuses on the health of workers, including the ability to perform work; the physical, chemical, biological, and social environments of the workplace; and the health outcomes of environmental exposures.
Public health and general preventive medicine focuses on promoting health, preventing disease, and managing the health of communities and defined populations.
In all areas of preventive medicine, the emphasis is on prevention rather than treatment. Examples of preventive health practices include exercise and nutrition.
Maintaining good health and getting the best health care means making smart decisions about preventive services. Preventive services, such as screening tests, counseling services, and preventive medicines, are tests or treatments that healthcare providers offer to prevent illnesses before they cause you symptoms or problems.
In order to help healthcare providers and patients decide on preventive choices, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force develops recommendations based on a review of high- quality scientific evidence.
Their online resources include guides on topics such as Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Promote a Healthful Diet and Physical Activity for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Adults, Preventing Falls in Older Adults, Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Reduce Alcohol Misuse, and Screening for and Management of Obesity in Adults.
For reliable information on preventive healthcare, or any health related topic, contact the Health Information Center. Staffed by medical librarians and certified health information specialists, the Health Information Center offers an extensive health library, digital and print resources, walk-in assistance, and help with research on specific health conditions - all free of charge and available to the public.
If you don't have a doctor and would like help finding one, call Healthcare Coordination to make an appointment.