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Patients' Guide to the Annual Physical
What To Do To Ensure The Most Beneficial Results
U.S. Preventive Medicine® has compiled a set of guidelines about how people should approach their annual physical to make it as productive an experience as possible, one that leaves them empowered with new knowledge about how to maintain their health.
- Prioritize and Verbalize Personal Concerns and Goals
In advance of the appointment, be certain to identify all primary health and wellness concerns as well as expectations and goals for the visit. Then, upon arrival address them with your doctor. Because the time allotted for appointments is often brief, doctors typically focus on the diagnosis and treatment of any acute problems, rather than discussing long-term term concerns and goals, unless you take the initiative.
- Review Family Medical History
One of the most important steps in an annual physical is to update or review the history of illnesses in blood relatives. Many diseases have a strong hereditary predisposition. Make sure you know your family history and provide a detailed outline of it to your doctor. This information is invaluable in predicting which conditions may be short- or long-term concerns and in determining the appropriateness and timing of certain screening tests for early detection of disease.
- Get An Examination The Old-Fashioned Way
With the rapid advances in medical technology there has been a tendency for physicians and patients to rely more upon body imaging and less upon the physical examination. However, there is invaluable information that can only be obtained by a physician who has been trained to identify abnormalities by touch – information that cannot be obtained through imaging or blood work. A thorough physical must include a thorough physical examination, no matter how uncomfortable, for early detection and prevention.
- What About Metabolic Syndrome?
Obesity and the metabolic syndrome often associated with it are epidemic in America. The disorder increases the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease and is easily diagnosed through a cholesterol or lipid profile, blood pressure readings and measurement of waist circumference. However, metabolic syndrome is not routinely addressed by many doctors during a physical. Again, take the initiative and ask if you should be assessed for it.
- Ask About Screening For Diseases
Early detection leads to improved prognosis for many of the most common chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes – the diseases that kill 70 percent of Americans. Unfortunately, most people neglect one or more of the crucial screening tests that can identify chronic disease even before it becomes symptomatic, thereby missing the opportunity for early detection and successful treatment. Talk to your doctor about a schedule of recommended preventive screenings.
- Don't Be Ashamed To Admit Unhealthy Habits or Lifestyle Choices
The confidential nature of the doctor patient relationship provides a safety zone in which to freely discuss concerns patients may have about potentially dangerous habits or lifestyle choices. Issues that should routinely be addressed include tobacco use, alcohol intake, eating disorders, medication overuse and unsafe sexual practices. While these are highly sensitive topics, they each have significant medical complications which should be considered during the exam. Moreover, the doctor's role is to help, not to judge.
- Evaluate The Best Diet
Optimal wellness and disease prevention cannot be achieved without a healthy nutritional plan. Discuss nutrition with your doctor at each annual physical and consider consultation with a registered dietitian to determine the best diet to satisfy individual medical concerns.
- Don't Let Physical Limitations Get In Your Way
Some people may have physical conditions that they assume limit or indeed negate altogether, their ability to follow a beneficial exercise regime. That is seldom the case. Ask the physician for a referral to a clinical exercise physiologist, physical therapist or cardiac rehabilitation program for an exercise evaluation and individualized prescription.
- Discuss Mental Health
The "mind-body connection" is not just a catch phrase. There is strong scientific evidence that stress, anxiety and depression have important effects on physical well-being. Each annual physical should include an open discussion of personal stressors (occupational concerns, financial difficulties, family illness, elderly relatives, etc.) and any symptoms of anxiety, irritability, tension or depression.
- Evaluate Sleep Patterns
A restful night's sleep is of paramount importance to ongoing good health. During the visit, discuss sleep patterns and note any loud or disruptive snoring, periods of apnea (pauses in breathing) or drowsiness during the daytime. Difficulties with frequent urination during the night, insomnia, restless legs and early morning awakening should also be mentioned as these are symptoms which may indicate other medical conditions.
- Review Current Medical Arsenal
Remember, there is no such thing as a completely "safe" drug or over-the-counter supplement. While medications and supplements may have life-saving benefits or provide symptom relief, all may induce detrimental side effects in some individuals under certain circumstances. And there can be significant drug-drug or drug-vitamin-supplement interactions. Provide your doctor with a complete list of all prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbs or other supplements that you are taking or have recently taken.
- Keeping A Personal Copy of the Paperwork
And finally, it's not finished until the paperwork is complete. After the results are in, request a copy of any laboratory work, diagnostic studies, consultations and the physician's report for your personal records. Maintain a notebook or binder with all of your medical records and any nutritional or exercise recommendations. Each person's health and health care must be in their control, and the paper trail will keep you at the helm.
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