Leavell And Clark Model Of Prevention

Theoretical Framework

Overview and Guiding Positions

Prevention is referred to strategies and interventions that focus on blocking up of diseases, screening and early detection, treatments, and minimization of injury or permanent damage (Nash, 2016). The model of prevention was first introduced by Hugh Rodman Leavell and Edwin Gurney Clark in 1953 in their work, Textbook of Preventive Medicine (Hattis & Law, 2009). The authors classified health promotion and prevention into five levels, which include health promotion, specific protection, early diagnosis and prompt treatment, disability limitation, prevention of disability and death, and rehabilitation (Clarks, 1954). In 1958 the second edition of the book was published and retitled the name as “Preventive Medicine for the doctor in his community: An epidemiologic approach.” (Hattis & Law, 2009). The authors regrouped the five levels into three categories: primary prevention consisted of

Over time, the Leavell and Clark’s model of prevention had been revised to three levels of prevention and has been applied to various fields of health care, particularly public health. Generally, the prevention model consists of primary, secondary, and tertiary level. Primary prevention is concerning about preventing a new onset of diseases and focuses on interventions that perform prior to an incidence of disease occurs (University of Ottawa, 2015). Interventions in primary prevention aim at reducing the incidence of diseases, such as vaccination, exercise, or wearing a helmet. Secondary prevention focuses on detecting diseases in an