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Annual physical exams are essential to your ongoing health and visiting your primary care provider for regular preventive care is one of the best ways to identify and treat health issues before they get worse. Here are some reasons why annual physical exams are so significant:

Assessing Your Overall Health

Depending on your risk factors, age, lifestyle and family history, your doctor may order a variety of blood tests and other screenings during your annual physical exam, including:

Blood pressure screening
Cholesterol screening
Osteoporosis screening (recommended for women age 65+ and for men 70+)
Body mass index (BMI) calculation

These tests can identify underlying conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms. Your test results also enable your doctor to make recommendations for follow-up testing, as well as lifestyle, exercise or diet changes that can help you improve or maintain your health.

Updating Your Vaccinations

Vaccines aren’t just for kids. Adults need to keep their vaccines up to date to prevent dangerous diseases, too. Your doctor will review your vaccination history and risk factors and may recommend immunizations, including:

Tdap vaccine: This vaccine is a combination of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular (contains no cells) pertussis.
Flu vaccine: Flu shots are recommended each year for most people age 6 months and older.
HPV vaccine: Recommended for teens and young adults ages 11 to 26.
Pneumonia vaccine: Recommended for adults age 65+.
Shingles vaccine: Recommended for most adults age 60+.
Hepatitis B vaccine: For people with diabetes or other conditions that affects the immune system.

Screening for Cancer

Keeping up with routine cancer screenings can increase your chances of detecting cancer in the earliest stages when it’s most treatable. Your doctor will consider your age and risk factors during your annual physical exam and may recommend cancer screenings including those for skin cancer, breast cancer, gynecological cancer like cervical cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, or lung cancer.

Since cancer screening recommendations are always being evaluated and updated, it’s best to talk with your doctor about what’s best for you.

Screening for Mental Health

Your doctor may ask if you’re experiencing symptoms of common mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. If you have concerns about your mental health, your doctor may refer you to a specialist.

Knowing Your Family History

Your doctor will ask if anyone in your family has developed any new health conditions. If your family history puts you at risk of developing a similar medical condition, your doctor may recommend earlier screening.

Establishing a Relationship with Your Doctor

Your primary care practitioner is your healthcare partner, and an annual physical exam is a great way to get to know your doctor—and allow your doctor to get to know you. Although you may see your primary care practitioner at other times during the year for minor illnesses and injuries, those “sick care” visits usually are focused on treating a specific problem.

During your annual physical exam, the focus is on your overall wellness and the preventive care you need to stay healthy. In addition to learning more about you and your lifestyle, your doctor will allow plenty of time to address any concerns or answer questions you may have about medications, treatment plans, or other health issues.

Scheduling your annual physical exam just might be the best thing you do for your health this year!

Sources:

www.ama-assn.org

www.virtua.org

The term “primary care provider” is commonly used in healthcare. But what exactly is it, and why is it so important that you have one? Primary care providers are doctors, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants that serve as your main medical contact. In fact, a primary care provider — who may come from family medicine or internal medicine, depending on your needs — specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing a wide variety of conditions.

Without a primary care provider, you may either ignore medical problems or visit the emergency room for an illness that doesn’t really require emergency care. Neither is an ideal choice! Having a primary care provider helps you focus more on staying healthy, instead of only seeking help when you are sick or hurt. Your practitioner becomes your health coach, showing you better ways to stay healthy and live longer. Here are seven main reasons to find a primary care provider or PCP:

1. Provide Acute Care

Primary care can diagnose and treat up to 85% of issues that present to them without a referral. Building a trusting relationship is important in acute and ongoing medical care.

2.Better Preventive Care

One of the main responsibilities of a PCP is preventive care. A PCP can make recommendations that will help you protect your health. The practitioner can get to know you, your history, and family history. This enables them to make the best recommendations for needed screenings and to identify and treat many minor problems before they become major ones. Their office will also keep an accurate record of your vaccinations, ensuring you stay up to date on this crucial preventive tactic.

3. Continuity of Care

Having a competent PCP offers a continuity of care that long-term health maintenance requires. The practitioner can treat the “whole person,” taking into account your history and existing conditions. Timely diagnosis increases the chances that you will be able to lead a longer and more productive life.

4. A Central Point of Contact

A PCP coordinates information between other healthcare providers. All healthcare that is done by specialty providers gets funneled through the PCP’s office to assist when you have questions, or are getting multiple reports. PCP’s can also make sure there is no duplication of care and testing, and that nothing is being left out.

5. A Key Resource

A PCP should be the first person in the healthcare system that you contact when you have a question or a problem. The practitioner can provide answers and recommend an appropriate specialist if needed. They can also help you find other resources, such as support groups and classes.

6. Fewer Trips to the ER

Research has shown that regular visits to a PCP initiate more proactive healthcare measures and significantly decrease the instances of emergency room visits while also improving your quality of life. A PCP can offer options that help prevent you from making unnecessary trips to the emergency room. For example, your doctor may be able to answer questions about a condition, call in a prescription, or suggest a course of action that can be taken at home.

7. Coordinated Care = Better Quality & Lower Costs

As the medical, specialty, and mental health fields continue to change, coordination between your PCP and other practitioners has become increasingly important. Without effective communication between different healthcare providers, you may experience delays in care, misdiagnosis, incorrect or unnecessary treatment, and potentially higher healthcare costs. Part of the task of a PCP is to help you navigate through the healthcare system.

When you put the focus of your health on primary care and prevention, a PCP can better manage chronic conditions and keep you healthy and out of the emergency room. This is great for your health and your pocketbook.

Be sure to choose a primary care provider that is in your network.

If you’re in search of a PCP, make sure they are part of your health plan’s network. Choosing an out-of-network provider may leave you responsible for the full cost of the care they provide. You can look up providers in your network through our secure, online health portal, My eLink. This convenient resource offers 24/7 access to your health plan information. You can also review your coverage, check on claims and authorizations, print and request I.D. cards and more. Haven’t created a My eLink account yet? No problem. Signing up is easy. All you need is your Live360 ID card.