Quaternary Prevention special issue published

español

The Brazilian Journal of Family and Community Medicine (RBMFC) is the quarterly scientific publication of Brazilian Society of Family and Community Medicine (SBMFC). It recently published a special issue about 'Quaternary Prevention' which has had a significant spread in South America.

The special issue contains  21 papers, 34 authors from 12 countries - articles with an enormous spectrum but with the same focus on Quaternary Prevention. It shows the strength of international cooperation among family physicians and the interest to co-operate. The Quaternary Prevention focus is very broad and involves ethical issues, shared decision making, person focused care, conflict of interest, crisis in evidence based medicine, and research financing. The main tool we have to face this turbulence is the promotion of critical thinking by educating new generations with a new paradigm based on critical thinking.

In his editorial "Quaternary Prevention; first do not harm" in the special issue, Dr Marc Jamoulle of Belgium says "Quaternary prevention involves the need for close monitoring by the doctor himself, a sort of permanent quality control on behalf of the consciousness of the harm they could do, even unintentionally, to their patients. Quaternary prevention is also about understanding that medicine is based on a relationship, and that this relation must remain truly therapeutic by respecting the autonomy of patients and doctors."

The articles are in English, Portuguese and Spanish so can be of interest to all.

 Table of contents of "Quaternary Prevention (P4)"
Miguel Pizzanelli