title: Prevention, not just treatment.
abstract: A tragic burden of disease, disability, and death has resulted from smoking. The role of pulmonary rehabilitation is not only in treatment and rehabilitation of lung disease but in the prevention of lung disease. The skills of the pulmonary rehabilitation specialist should be used in the earlier detection and prevention of lung disease through primary and secondary prevention. The spirometer must gain acceptance in the medical community as the early tool to evaluate lung health, not the chest radiograph or the stethoscope. The lung age formula and sputum pap smears are just a few of the evaluation tools used to detect and motivate susceptible individuals. Prevention is the key to enhancing lung health.
authors.affiliation: St. Helena Hospital, Deer Park, California, USA.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Connors
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hilling
mesh_terms: D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012138:Respiratory Therapy / Q000379:methods; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*