The discussion between general practitioners (GPs) and healthcare delivery organizations necessitates a common language. The presentation of the 4 types of GP's activities, opens dialogue but can lead to possible misunderstandings between the micro- and macro-level of the healthcare system. This commentary takes 4 examples: costs reduction by P4, priority of beneficence or nonmaleficence, role ...

Prevention is primarily categorized as Primordial, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Now the concept of "Quaternary Prevention" is also introduced. This editorial article discusses need of Quaternary prevention in current scenario of clinical practice.

The article analyzes literature problems using as a parameter the quaternary prevention concept, introducing guidelines to have good shared decisions that avoid overdiagnosis and overtreatment and improve the quality of life. The author proposes a four-step approach: reliable evidence, awareness about populations profile, independent research analysis, and an understandable format by ordinary p...

Quaternary prevention should be implemented to minimize harm to patients because the ultimate goal of medicine is to prevent disease and promote health. Primary care physicians have a major responsibility in quaternary prevention, and the establishment of clinical epidemiology as a distinct field of study would create a role charged with minimizing patient harm arising from over-medicalization.

Quaternary prevention consists in the identification of persons at risk of excessive medicalization and their protection against new unnecessary interventions, avoiding iatrogenic damages. Here, we argue about the importance of quaternary prevention in specific primary and secondary prevention. The recent great development of preventive medicine, biomedicalization of risks and their treatment a...