Evidence-Based Practice in Public Health: Population Based Health and Health Care Health Disparities

The concept of levels of prevention refers to strategies used to prevent, delay, or reduce the onset and progression of diseases in a population. The three levels primary, secondary, and tertiary focus on different elements of health maintenance, such as prevention of the onset of disease, early detection and management of risk factors, and reduction of morbidity and mortality due to chronic illness. This paper reviews scholarly articles on each of the three levels.

Description of a Scholarly Article Encompassing a Primary Level of Prevention

Primary level of prevention refers to actions taken before a health issue develops and is prevented. These can include health promotion, immunization, lifestyle changes and education, depending on the targeted population. The targeted population could include individuals, a community or a whole population. The intervention should be specific and measurable, and should be tailored to the needs of the targeted population. The outcome should focus on how successful the primary level of prevention was in improving the health problems, and should measure the long-term effects and impact.

A scholarly article encompassing a primary level of prevention would be one that examines an evidence-based project or research that utilizes the primary level of prevention approach. Primary level of prevention refers to actions taken before a health issue develops and is prevented. When it comes to health, it involves activities such as health promotion, immunization and education. This article would define the targeted population, the intervention and the outcome of the project/research. The targeted population could include individuals, a community or a whole population that are at risk or could benefit from the intervention. The intervention should be specific and measurable. Outcome should focus on how successful the primary level of prevention was in improving the health problems.

The article should discuss the potential benefits of implementing the primary level of prevention approach and identify any barriers that could prevent successful implementation. It should also include the cost-effectiveness of the project/research and discuss how to ensure its sustainability. Ethical considerations should be addressed as well. It should take into account the latest evidence and literature, and provide references from reliable sources. It should discuss possible challenges related to implementing a primary level of prevention project and propose potential solutions. Lastly, it should also emphasize why this type of prevention is important and beneficial for the targeted population, and how it can help them improve their health. Finally, recommendations for future research and program improvements should be provided.

One example is the study by Zheng and Roddick (2019), which reviews evidence-based studies on the effectiveness aspirin use for primary prevention, focusing on the interventions and outcomes related to health promotion activities. It provides evidence for improving health promotion initiatives and identifies challenges in the implementation of its usage. The primary prevention intervention was aspirin use; the targeted population was cardiovascular patients; and the outcome was positive.

Description of a Scholarly Article Encompassing a Secondary Level of Prevention

The definition of secondary level of prevention is an approach that focuses on identifying individuals in a population who are likely to develop particular health issues, and instituting interventions to stop those health issues from occurring. The targeted population can be defined by shared characteristics like age, gender, geography, ethnicity, lifestyle factors, occupation, or other health risk factors. The intervention may include providing access to screening services, health education, health promotion, or lifestyle interventions. The desired outcome is to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with certain illnesses among the population.

A scholarly article encompassing a secondary level of prevention is one that describes an evidence-based project or research initiative which aims...…changes in physical and mental health status, mortality rates, and other indicators of success.

How do the Findings Relate with Healthy People 2020 Objectives & DNP Essentials

The findings from the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention can be related to Healthy People 2020 Objectives and DNP Essentials in several ways. For example, the primary level of prevention focuses on preventing the onset of disease in the first place; this is consistent with the objective of Healthy People 2020 to reduce health disparities and eliminate preventable deaths. The secondary level of prevention focuses on detecting and managing disease risk factors early in order to delay or prevent the onset of more serious illnesses; this aligns with the DNP Essential of population-focused health, which emphasizes the importance of preventive care. The tertiary level of prevention, as described in this article, focuses on reducing morbidity and mortality due to chronic illness in the target population

The findings also relate to Healthy People 2020 Objectives and DNP Essentials by considering how telemedicine technologies can be used to provide access to preventive healthcare services in areas with limited resources (Amabile, 2021). This is consistent with the Essential of technology and informatics which emphasizes the role of technology in improving healthcare quality and outcomes (Barona, 2020; Giardino & Hickey, 2020).

Summary

The primary level of prevention focuses on preventing the onset of disease in the first place by reducing risk factors. The secondary level of prevention focuses on detecting and managing disease risk factors early in order to delay or prevent the onset of more serious illnesses. The tertiary level of prevention focuses on reducing morbidity and mortality due to chronic illness in the target population by utilizing interventions such as population-level or individual-level supportive services and/or environmental modifications to reduce illness risk. This is consistent with the role of technology and informatics in improving healthcare quality…