Quaternary prevention means avoiding unnecessary medical interventions. They are the actions taken to identify anindividual at risk ofovermedicalisation, to protect them from new medical invasion, and to suggest interventions which are ethically acceptable.[1][2] The term was coined by the Belgiangeneral practitioner Marc Jamoulle,[3]
Quaternary prevention is the set of activities to mitigate or avoid the consequences of unnecessary or excessive intervention of thehealth system,[4] i.e.iatrogenic damage.
The Wonca International Dictionary for General/Family Practice defines it as "action taken to identify patient at risk of overmedicalisation, to protect him from new medical invasion, and to suggest to him interventions, which are ethically acceptable".[5]
Alternatively, quaternary prevention has been defined as an "action taken to protect individuals from medical interventions that are likely to cause more harm than good."[6]
Jamoulle divided medical situations into four quadrants based on if the patient was experiencing illness (i.e. if the patient experienced subjective poor health)[citation needed]and if a health care provider had identified disease (constructed based on diagnostic criteria), with a different type of prevention happening in each:
Primary prevention when both illness and disease are absent
Secondary prevention when illness is absent but disease is present
Tertiary prevention when both illness and disease are present
Quaternary prevention when the patient is experiencing illness but there is no identified disease
Jamoulle noted that when the patient was experiencing illness but no specific disease had been identified that patient was particularly vulnerable to their condition being made worse by invasive or harmful diagnostic medical intervention.[citation needed]
