What describes tertiary prevention?

Tertiary prevention is focused on managing and mitigating the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has already occurred. The goal of tertiary prevention is to minimize the negative effects of the disease, prevent complications, and enhance the quality of life for the affected individuals. This can involve a variety of strategies, such as rehabilitation programs, supportive care, and long-term management of chronic conditions.

For instance, in the context of a patient who has had a heart attack, tertiary prevention efforts would include cardiac rehabilitation sessions, medication management, lifestyle modifications, and ongoing monitoring to prevent further complications. By concentrating on actions that contain damage after a disease has progressed, tertiary prevention plays a crucial role in comprehensive healthcare.

In contrast, the other options describe different levels of prevention: actions taken before illness occurs represent primary prevention; screenings for diseases fall under secondary prevention; and education to promote healthy behaviors is also part of primary prevention efforts. Each of these serves a different purpose in the overall framework of disease management and prevention.