WELLNESS AND PREVENTION SERVICES
A host of public, private, and community-based agencies provides wellness and prevention services. Wellness and prevention services include such activities as educating the public concerning risky behaviors and their health consequences; providing screening, testing, and other health problem detection services; and making available opportunities for behavioral modification to improve lifestyles and eliminate risky health behaviors.
Wellness and prevention services can be provided in a variety of locations including schools, the workplace, community centers, and other community-based environments as well as traditional health and medical facilities and public health settings.
Wellness and prevention services offer many benefits to the community. Modifying the behavior of community residents to improve lifestyle, diet, and physical activity habits could save millions of dollars in medical, physical rehabilitation, and mental health care costs in the future. Improving lifestyles and eliminating risky behaviors would also reduce the years of productive life lost to premature deaths due to preventable illnesses and conditions, as well as enhancing quality of life.
Back to Health Care System Table of Contents
