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The new year could give you new ways to improve your annual physical to the doctor. Americans’ top resolutions for 2023 may not be a huge surprise.
45% noted an improvement in mental health, 39% plan to improve their fitness, 37% want to lose weight, and 33% said they want to improve their diet. For many, that means an annual physical.
The average doctor’s visit lasts twenty-two minutes. So it’s very important to make sure your exam time is spent wisely.
Essential Things to Bring in an Annual Physical
Twenty-two minutes go by very quickly, so you want to be empowered, and that means coming armed with information.
First, you want to bring your medications. Bring the bottles or pictures of the bottles so the doctor knows the dosage and frequency.
Talk to your family before your visit. Do you have a family history of a thyroid problem? Does your mother have high blood pressure? That’s very important.
Keeping Track of Medical Records
You also want to get copies of all your records. A lot of people have no idea what their chest x-ray showed a year ago or their stress tests.
That information is very useful. Keep those copies and bring all that information to your visit.
Monitoring Your Symptoms
Keep a diary of your symptoms. When did they start? What do they feel like? All of that will be helpful.
Bringing Support
Last but not least, you may want to bring a friend or family member who can help take notes and listen.
Lots of times, when you’re in the office, the information goes in one ear and out the other.
You’re very overwhelmed. Having someone there who can corroborate symptoms, add information, and keep notes is useful.
Managing Medical Records
It is not always easy to transfer those records back and forth and track them down, right? It is not, but you can ask for copies. That is your right, and you should ask for a copy of your records and have it with you.
Timing Lab Tests
If you’re a patient who’s been with a doctor for a while and you know every year they order these tests or you’re followed for a condition like your thyroid or your blood sugar, then getting it before can be helpful.
You can then sit face-to-face with the doctor and go over the results when you see them.
However, if you’re a new patient, the doctor may want to order specific tests particular to whatever condition they’re looking at you for, and then you would get stuck twice, essentially. So, it may make sense to wait in that case.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
What are some of the questions you should ask? You certainly want to ask about screening, vaccination, prevention, and your cardiovascular risk.
You want to ask how the doctor’s office functions, how they’re going to follow up with you, and how often you should be seen.
Building a Doctor-Patient Relationship
With those first visits, the most important thing is establishing a connection. This is like a marriage. It’s a very important personal relationship.
You’re emotionally vulnerable, you’re physically vulnerable. You want to know if this is someone who’s going to listen to you, who communicates in a way that you understand, and who responds to your concerns in a way that’s appropriate.
The Value of Annual Physical Exam
There are pros and cons. There is evidence that says it really doesn’t decrease death or illness, it can waste time and money, and it can lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
On the other hand, it establishes that very important doctor-patient relationship. Trust and time are valuable.
When you see someone year to year, you can tell if they don’t really seem the same. Maybe there is some underlying depression going on.
That mole that I saw last year is a little different this year, so that’s valuable. It can also give you time to go over prevention and screening, which is important.
Preventive Measures
I think prevention is good too because they always take your cholesterol, blood pressure, and get screenings. If you’re getting older and your blood pressure and cholesterol go up, you can treat that early.
Don’t worry about asking for second opinions. People often feel uncomfortable about that, but the bottom line is this is your health. You need to be in charge, and the doctor should not get offended if you ask for a second opinion.
Finding the Right Primary Care in Wichita, KS
ClarityFirst Primary Care is a go-to provider in Wichita KS especially for those who are seeking quality, reliable, and convenient primary care.
We can bring the provider to you instead of you going to the provider. You can do this either by scheduling an appointment for a housecall or a provider video call.
ClarityFirst understands that patients might have limited mobility. As a solution, we’ll provide quality healthcare services wherever you are so that you will never sacrifice vital medical care.
It is our commitment to build a long-term provider-patient relationship with you and we are focused on providing clarity of information to give you confidence in your health decisions.
You deserve convenient and high-quality medical care, and we’re here to deliver it.