What does secondary prevention aim to accomplish?

Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and intervention to prevent the progression of a disease or condition once it has already occurred. This level of prevention is primarily concerned with reducing the severity and impact of an existing problem. In the context of healthcare and professional conduct, secondary prevention strategies may involve addressing unprofessional incidents through training, counseling, or corrective actions to mitigate any further harm and improve overall outcomes.

While reducing harm after an incident has occurred is a critical part of secondary prevention, other aspects of healthcare prevention are represented in the other choices. For instance, preventing initial misconduct relates to primary prevention, while fair distribution of resources is more aligned with equity and social determinants of health. The obligation not to inflict harm is tied to ethical principles in healthcare, particularly non-maleficence. Therefore, secondary prevention specifically targets efforts in the aftermath of an incident to ensure that the issue does not escalate further, making the first choice the most relevant in this context.