Prevention

The future of health care will include increasing emphasis on prevention—measures taken to prevent disease. Disease prevention relies on anticipatory actions that can be taken prior to the onset of an adverse health condition. As an area of research focus, prevention spans all diseases and conditions, populations, and phases of life and is designed to prevent or reduce harmful exposures, disease onset, or disease progression. Prevention research, which can be either primary or secondary in nature, includes studies that identify and assess risk and protective factors; screen and identify individuals and groups at risk; develop and evaluate interventions to reduce risk; and translate, implement, and disseminate effective preventive interventions into practice. Columbia University School of Nursing researchers who specialize in prevention research contribute substantially to improving public health both in the United States and internationally by working to increase the delivery of protective health mechanisms (e.g., regular health check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings) and thus reducing future risks for adverse health outcomes.