A LITTLE LIGHTBULB MOMENT
Community health, leadership, ethics and older-adult care
Primary, secondary, tertiary prevention
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Three locks on the same community door
The idea behind the cue
Primary prevention stops disease before it starts, such as immunization or smoke-free policies. Secondary prevention detects disease early with screening. Tertiary prevention reduces complications and disability after a condition already exists.
Practice this flashcard →Make it memorable
Short & simple
Three locks on the same community door
Acronym
PST — Polka Sloths Tumble.
Story
A town installs bike lanes, offers blood pressure checks at a fair, and runs rehab after strokes. Same community, three different ways to keep illness from doing more damage.
Connect the pieces
- P (Polka) → Primary: Stops disease before it starts, such as immunization or smoke-free policies.
- S (Sloths) → Secondary: Finds disease early with screening, before definitive diagnosis.
- T (Tumble) → Tertiary: Reduces complications and disability after a condition already exists.
- Polka · Primary: Stops disease before it starts, such as immunization or smoke-free policies.
- Sloths · Secondary: Finds disease early with screening, before definitive diagnosis.
- Tumble · Tertiary: Reduces complications and disability after a condition already exists.
Know the limits
Secondary prevention uses screening, not definitive diagnosis; tertiary prevention assumes disease is already present.
Further reading · OpenStax nursing textbooks ↗Check your understanding
Which action is best classified as secondary prevention?
A. A hospice team manages comfort at end of life
B. A community clinic offers cholesterol screening at a health fair
C. A city bans smoking in public buildings
D. A rehab program helps stroke survivors regain function
Reveal explanation
A community clinic offers cholesterol screening at a health fair
Screening for disease in people without symptoms is secondary prevention. The other choices fit primary, tertiary, and palliative goals.