Healthcare Barriers That Impede Primary Prevention
Introduction
Prevention in health care systems is always classified into two broad groups which are primary and secondary prevention. Primary prevention essentially entails factors that hinder the occurrence of diseases from individuals thus making them stay healthy. It could involve, vaccination, adoption of certain life style for instance practicing safe sex, exercise, or avoiding smoking and excess alcohol. Secondary prevention on the other hand is aimed at reducing the recurrence or progression of disease in patients (Clark, 2008, p. 62). This paper is therefore an analysis of the various barriers to primary prevention in health care systems.
The barriers in our current health care systems that impede primary prevention?
Provision of efficient health care prevention strategies has been the dream of all governments as well as health care facilities operating around the globe. However, many stakeholders have acted as the hindering factors to the sound foundation of efficient healthcare prevention. These barriers to the access of primary health care are responsible for the reduction of access to health facilities hence affecting the health status of the population. Some of these barriers include:
Financial barriers
These barriers are broad-based ranging from an individual to the entire health care systems. This is because the health care facilities may lack adequate funds to purchase things such as vaccines or even lack the financial support needed to create awareness on the primary prevention methods to the community (Clark, 2008, p. 89). At the same time the cost of leaving a healthy lifestyle is very high given the fact that those considered to be healthy foods cost higher. For instance white bread is cheaper than the whole meal bread.
Social barriers
The social and cultural factors that deter healthy lifestyles have overwhelmed the media in the current world. These are advertised to show how shape and fashion is highly correlated to unhealthy eating habits and behavior thus proving to be barrier to primary prevention. Take the case of model body which requires one to eat very little so as to get less calories into the body.
Political barriers
Political aspirants as well as the government have arguments when it comes to enactment of laws that promote healthy lifestyles while on the other hand causing offence on the public. Most politicians have been seen to reprimand laws that restrict smoking in public places or that of wearing seatbelts in public vehicles yet this is all done to ensure the safety of the individual. This therefore impairs the promotion of health leaving.
How the Community Health Nurse (CHN) overcome these barriers when developing a community health project?
The aforementioned barriers to primary prevention can be a great threat when it comes to the attainment of the health care systems goals and objectives. However, for a community health nurse, the best way to overcome these barriers is through effective awareness of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Once the community is informed of the risks associated with bad eating habits and carelessness of their bodies, then they will personally practice the primary prevention techniques at their comfort without being pushed to do so. The community health nurse can initiate strategies that will motivate the public to live healthy lifestyles for instance by giving free vaccines, showing films that show ignorance of wearing seatbelts in vehicles, as well as films that show the effects of excess alcohol, smoking and unsafe sex just to mention but a few (Clark, 2008, p. 103). This way, all the barriers will be overcame and the society will be practicing healthy lifestyles thus remaining healthy always.
Reference List
Clark, M. (2008). Community health nursing: Advocacy for population health (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.