TUMS Opens its First Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Clinic

Based on the news by the Public Relations of Spinal Injury Research Center, affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), the Center opened a Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Clinic, the first of its kind in the University, on October 20, 2013.

Aiming to implement health promoting hospitals, the Department of Community Medicine helped establish the facility in the Center’s polyclinic.

Aside from history taking, the clients would be evaluated for risk factors related to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancers, etc for that age group. The clients would also receive appropriate health education for preventing diseases and maintaining and promoting their physical and mental health.

Health promotion empowers people to make healthy lifestyle choices and motivating them to self-monitor their health. Therefore, health promotion strategies focus on patient education, counselling and support tools such as programs that promote physical activity, improve nutrition or reduce the use of tobacco, alcohol or drugs.
 
Disease prevention focuses on preventive strategies that reduce the risk of disease, identify risk factors, or detect disease in its early, most treatable stages. Examples may include immunizations, calcium and Vitamin D supplementation to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, blood pressure and cholesterol assessments annually, and screening for illnesses such as breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer (1).

References:

1. Family Health Teams. Guide to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, 2006.