A primary difference between primary and tertiary prevention is that tertiary prevention aims to...

• A. Prevent progression of established disease
• B. Prevent exposure to disease
• C. Detect disease early in population
• D. Promote healthy behaviors in disease-free individuals

Answer: (A)

Prevention operates at different stages of disease. Tertiary prevention focuses on people who already have the disease, with the goal of reducing complications, limiting progression, and preserving function. That’s why the best answer is to prevent progression of established disease—the aim is to slow or stop the course after illness has begun, through management, rehabilitation, and preventing further deterioration.

For context, primary prevention seeks to stop the disease from occurring in healthy individuals (like preventing exposure or promoting healthy behaviors), while secondary prevention involves finding disease early to intervene sooner (such as screenings). These distinctions help explain why preventing progression after disease onset is the hallmark of tertiary prevention.