Preventive Medicine

Date of Publication:

10/4/2004

Definition:

Anticipating, predicting, identifying, preventing, and controlling illnesses, injuries, communicable diseases (including vector-, food- and water-borne diseases), and diseases due to exposure to occupational and environmental health hazards.  It includes disciplines such as epidemiology, clinical preventive medicine, occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, environmental health sciences and engineering, medical entomology, health promotion and wellness, community and public health, mental health, toxicology and laboratory support sciences (environmental, occupational, and radiological chemistry and microbiology), and risk communication.