Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
We've been focusing this week on preventive medicine - things patients and doctors can do to help avoid or minimize injury or illness. A big part of preventive medicine is education. Patients need to learn what they can do to safeguard and improve their health.
Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center say the emergency room is a good place for some of that education to take place. Alcohol is the leading risk factor for injuries, and researchers have found that counseling patients about alcohol abuse while they're in the emergency room for an alcohol-related injury is an effective way of preventing future injuries. People are more likely to be open to changing their behavior while they're facing harmful consequences of that behavior. This kind of counseling could save billions of dollars in medical costs every year.
Think about things you can do to help protect yourself and your family against injury and illness.
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Feb. 2005
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