Prevention is Everyone’s Responsibility

Access to preventive services through primary care results in better health outcomes for individuals and society. However, prevention should be emphasized by all physicians and health care workers. Emergency room visits provide opportunities for tetanus vaccination, intimate partner violence counseling, and connecting patients to primary care. Gastroenterologists perform colonoscopies and radiologists read mammograms. Cardiologists can reinforce counseling by primary care around smoking cessation and nutrition. Frontline clinical staff can assist turning the physician’s practice into a welcoming medical home for patients. Collaboration around prevention with community partners, including schools, businesses, religious organizations, and social agencies, is vital.