User's Guide

Prevention / Wellness

Prevention and Wellness is emphasized in the Collaborative Curriculum Project's   preclerkship "Competency-based Curriculum Resource for Pre-Clerkship Education (using ACGME structure)" accessible via http://fammed.musc.edu/fmc/data/Preclerkship/ within the file devoted to the topic of Patient Care , are the following objectives for preclerkship students:

Learn the details of preventive measures, including criteria for screening, best approaches, and cost-effectiveness.

• Compare and contrast the concepts of health promotion in individuals and populations.
• Describe the physician's role in health promotion and preventive medicine activities.
• Describe the principles and components of prevention, screening, and health maintenance in health care across the lifespan and in different populations.
• Describe the importance of the periodic health examination and utilization of the preventive services.
• Identify screening strategies recommended for selected patients, using history, physical exam, and lab/diagnostic procedures.
• Describe methods that can assist physicians in evaluating the effectiveness of clinical preventive services.
• Describe the role of behavioral change as a cornerstone of health promotion, including primary prevention.
• List the risk factors for the leading causes of death and how patients can alter modifiable risk factors.
• Describe the principles of promoting behavior change for health related behaviors, such as diet, exercise, smoking, sexual activity, stress management and violent behaviors.
• Describe the principles and components of injury prevention (e.g., passive vs. active prevention) and specific examples such as child restraints, anticipatory guidance, legislation, and engineering.
• Describe the epidemiology of abuse, violence, and neglect across the life span, genders and populations.
• Describe the health professional's role in detection, interviewing, assessment and response in regard to violence, abuse and neglect toward intimate partners, elders, children, the disabled, or other vulnerable individuals.
• Describe the following:
  • Principles of active and passive immunity
  • Vaccine-preventable diseases
  • Principles of disease prevention through universal and targeted vaccination
  • Diseases with emerging anti- microbial resistance
  • Guidelines for the judicious use of antibiotics in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance

Under the ACGME competency of Patient Care is also contained much information concerning prevention and wellness within all of the clinical core topics within the family medicine clerkship materials (click on Pick a Topic at: http://fammed.musc.edu/fmc/data/ ) under the first ACGME Competency of Patient Care .  For example, within the topic of Coronary Artery Disease/Chest Pain at http://fammed.musc.edu/fmc/data/ChestPain.htm can be found this student learning objective for the family medicine clerkship:

• Objectives: The patients and families the importance of lifestyle changes in the prevention or management of coronary artery disease.

More broadly, one of the three themes of the Family Medicine clerkship is Prevention and Wellness. Within the broad goals and objectives for the family medicine clerkship which can be accessed at: http://fammed.musc.edu/fmc/data/ACGME_Themes.htm

the following is included under the ACGME Competency of Patient Care :

Prevention & Wellness Theme  for Family Medicine Clerkship

• Apply screening protocols based on guidelines and recommendations to identify risks for disease or injury and opportunities to promote wellness for the following care groups:
• Child care (e.g. nutrition, immunizations)
• Adolescent care
• Adult (e.g. hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diet, CAD, CA, HRT, substance abuse, environmental exposure, occupational disease, STD)
• Maternity care
• Geriatric (e.g. advance directives)
• Counsel patients and their families about serious effects of harmful personal behaviors and habits and appropriate health maintenance strategies.
• Apply culturally appropriate behavioral change strategies (e.g. smoking cessation) to support patient wellness.
• Use appropriate technology (e.g. web-based, handheld computer) to support patient education and disease prevention activities

For questions or comments, please contact Webmaster or Ardis Davis

This page last updated October 22, 2004