SAB NewsPrevention – Bah! Humbug!Posted 11/29/2004 Prevention gets short-changed when a health care system is under strain according to members of The Science Advisory Board. In a recent Instant Poll sponsored by the Board, 50% of the 1,100+ respondents believe that when medical care is constrained by limited resources, disease prevention and health promotion efforts suffer. An additional 25% of those polled think that adequate treatments and therapies are in jeopardy if funding is at risk. In contrast, participants believe that follow-up services and diagnosis receive the most attention regardless of resource limitations. “Unfortunately, while recognizing the cost effectiveness of disease prevention, most health care systems invest more in diagnosing a problem than in averting one from occurring,” observes Tamara Zemlo, Ph.D., MPH, Director, The Science Advisory Board. This shortsightedness is especially alarming when looking to the future make-up of many developed countries. Just in America alone, the percentage of Americans over the age of 65 is expected to double over the next 30 years. The aging phenomenon has tremendous implications for the escalating cost of health care. “If countries are determined to improve the health and well being of their citizens, while controlling the costs of health care, they cannot afford to ignore the power of prevention,” warns Zemlo. |
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