PREDICTIVE HEALTHCARE

Predictive healthcare consists of measures taken for disease prevention by using forecasting tools to identify patients who may be at high risk for hospitalization and high consumers of healthcare services. Just as health comprises a variety of physical and mental states, so do disease and disability, which are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. Health, disease, and disability are dynamic processes which begin before individuals realize they are affected. Disease prevention relies on anticipatory actions that can be categorized as primal, primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.

PREVENTIVE CARE

Preventive care is any medical service that defends against health emergencies. It includes doctor visits, such as annual physicals, appointments, and dental cleanings. Some medicines are preventive, such as immunizations, contraception, and allergy medications. Also, any screening test done in order to catch a disease early is considered a preventative service, such as tests for skin cancer, high cholesterol, and colonoscopies, are effective preventive measures.