Personal Health Reviews

Rethinking our annual physicals ...  Why rethink? There is no scientific evidence that giving people an annual check-up actually prevents more disease, and saves more lives.  Doing the same screening tests every year, on everybody, often means over-testing low risk people and under-testing those at higher risk of certain diseases. 

Blanket screening of all patients every year, regardless of whether they have symptoms or risk factors, is not scientifically proven to be helpful. Of course, if symptoms are present, that is another story - you must talk to your doctor. 

The solution: Customized care. Instead of running the same tests on everybody every year, we recommend moving to a Periodic Health Review and more focused testing that takes into account your unique risk factors, age, lifestyle and so on. 

What's the best approach for you? It's not about more testing, but rather maintaining a good relationship with your doctor. Having open conversations, partnering around prevention, and trying to make positive changes are critical to making the most of preventive visits with your family doctor. 

To learn more about choosing wisely and prevention through primary care, click HERE.

Dr. Alejandra Marin
Lead Physician