Preventive Care

It is crucial for the physician to educate their elderly patients about the importance of preventive screening. Although physicians should acknowledge the patient’s feelings of discomfort, screening should be strongly encouraged as early detection can mean a cure in some cases (e.g. colon cancer, etc.). Unfortunately, some physicians find that Native Hawaiians appear late in the course of their illness and may interpret this to mean that the patient is apathetic about his/her illness.