The Role of Prevention in Healthy Aging

Abstract

This article explores the role of prevention in healthy aging from the perspective of individualized prevention in the clinic and population-based prevention with system-level support. The traditional medical model has significant limitations to effectively target impactful outcomes related to geriatric syndromes that encompass debility, frequent hospitalizations, loss of independence, and disease progression. This article reviews aspects of the clinic visit and subsequent interventions, such as immunizations and screenings, that promote disease and disability prevention. Finally, we review the value of Population Health Management as a model of care for delivering population-based, system-level supported, patient-centered health care plans.

Keywords: Disability prevention; Disease prevention; Healthy aging.