Using Principles of the Disease Interrelationship Model to Enhance Secondary Prevention of Diseases: A Narrative Review

The aim of the study was to prove that diseases have a network, which if understood, helps to prevent and/or manage diseases. A comprehensive search of empirical/theoretical literature was conducted between January and June 2020. The study involved original research articles published in English, which focused on prevention of diseases or explain the disease interrelationship model (DIM) and its relationship with secondary prevention of diseases. The study characteristics were examined and categorised according to disease networks, disease prevention concepts and relevance of DIM in disease prevention. The studies were categorised according to the basic framework of DIM, demonstrating the workability of DIM and application of DIM towards disease prevention. The study reveals that no disease is in isolation because diseases belong to a network of infirmities and the prevention of disease at the entry point prevents resultant disease(s). Understanding this network is imperative for effective secondary prevention of disease for ethno-medicine and orthodox medical practice.