Payesh (Aug 2013)

ٍEducating Quaternary Prevention (P4) in Iran for decreasing the harms and costs of unnecessary services in clinical medicine and public health

  • Mohammad Zakaria Pezeshki,
  • Sina Pezeshki

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 4
pp. 329 – 333

Abstract

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In Clinical Medicine and Public Health, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Preventive services mainly focus on preventing of diseases. But Quaternary Prevention (P4) is related to preventing of unnecessary diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative services. P4 was coined by Marc Jamoulle, a Belgian family physician, in 1986. Unfortunately P4 is not well known in Iran. In this review the history, definition and goals of P4 is presented. As some of the unnecessary clinical medicine and public health services are prevalent in Iran, the importance of educating P4 in Iranian universities of medical sciences and health care services is discussed.

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