Why are Annual Check-ups Important?
Regular annual wellness examinations, screenings, and tests can help find problems before they start. They also can help find problems early, when your chances for treatment, survival, and cure are better. By receiving the right health services, screenings, and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances to live a longer, healthier life. Your age, health and family history, lifestyle choices (i.e. what you eat, how active you are, whether you smoke), and other important factors impact what and how often you need healthcare.1
The annual physical examination often suggests that preventative services can be effectively delivered without only focusing on the patient’s agenda and presenting complaint. The idea of annual wellness exams allows the primary care provider to focus on prevention, screening, and disease management for the patient that may not be apparent to the patient when seeking treatment.⁴ The United States Preventative Task Force (USPTF) is one example of an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention who systemically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventative services. Preventative health guidelines and recommendations are specific to age, gender, and to all individuals as a whole.⁵
Prevention is Key
It’s much easier to prevent a disease than it is to treat one. Staying up-to-date on vaccinations and screenings can help you stay healthy and catch health problems early, when they’re easiest to treat. Whether you want to improve your diet, begin an exercise program, quit smoking or learn to manage stress, your care team can help.2 The annual wellness visit focuses on key clinical skills, including history taking, physical examination, and evidence-based preventative care. Physician visits with an agenda focused on evidence-based primary care are necessary to provide the full range of individualized, guideline-driven care.⁴ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide vaccine and immunization recommendations for children and adults, ages birth to greater than 65 years.1
Prevention Tips
It’s time to take charge of your health! Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss what screenings and exams you need and when you need them.
©2023HealthSpot References: (1) CDC (2019). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Check-ups are important. Retrieved on March 13, 2019 from https://www.cdc.gov/family/checkup/index.htm. (2) Mayo Clinic (2019). Mayo Clinic: Prevention and wellness. Retrieved on March 13, 2019 from https://communityhealth.mayoclinic.org/prevention-and-wellness. (3) Sokol, et.al (2019). Preventive care in adults: Recommendations. Waltham, MA: UpToDate Inc. Retrieved on March 13, 2019 from https://www.uptodate.com. (4) Shein, David M., MD & Stone, Valerie E., MD, MPH. (2017). Retrieved on April 30, 2019 from https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(17)30095-5/fulltext. (5) USPTF (2019). United States Preventative Task Force: Preventative guideline chart. Retrieved from http://interactive.wttw.com/a/img/healthsecrets/hs_screenings.jpg