Lifestyle Over Annual Exam
People are not machines. An annual checkup is not necessarily beneficial and may even be counter-productive for health. We need to move to a Lifestyle Over Annual Exam approach where providers engage people on Lifestyle, not a battery of costly tests that provide suspect value.
Many physicians continue to perform annual examinations and order some of the same tests that have proven ineffectual because otherwise patients might feel unsatisfied with their visit. Evidence suggests that the more physical and laboratory examinations they perform, the better their patients feel. Also, let us not forget there is a financial incentive — physicians get paid to do these exams.
Studies have not shown that these annual check-ups are associated with lower rates of mortality, meaning they were not associated with living longer, or a lower risk of dying from heart disease, stoke or cancer. In fact check-ups often increase the number of new diagnoses. Many incidental abnormalities that are detected at these exams do not need further work-ups.
I would argue that there would be a different outcome if physicians focus less on ordering routine tests and elaborate laboratory tests and instead spend more time talking about lifestyle changes that could help prevent 80 percent of chronic diseases (eg: diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease).
Source: Lifestyle changes are more beneficial than annual exams – Midland Reporter-Telegram
Holistic Health
The US is in a chronic disease epidemic. Annual check ups and expensive tests to tell Americans that they still have a chronic disease or are developing one does little for health and nothing to reduce the ever-increasing costs of US health care. Providers must be trained and paid to address Lifestyle decisions where 80% of many chronic disease begin and expand. Consumers are in the best place to make changes in their Lifestyle but they need support, education, and access to products.
Our Model
The HealthCare Too model provides for a collaborative holistic care approach to health. We look for articles and knowledge to help consumers and their care teams make holistic health decisions and also shop for the best deals in holistic health so you can find them here! We appreciate the value of surgery and pharmaceuticals but want to make more paths available for your HealthCare Too. See our model for Holistic Health for more information!
