TABLE 8.

Differences between public health and curative medicine⁶⁹

Public health	Curative medicine
• Primary focus on population • Public service ethic, tempered by concerns awareness for the individual • Emphasis on health promotion and disease • Reliance on many sectors outside healthcare system	• Primary focus on individual • Personal service ethic, conditioned by social responsibilities • Emphasis on diagnosis and treatment; care for the whole patient • Reliance on healthcare system