Note to Patients: When it’s Not A “Physical” You Need

We interrupt our regular blogging for a PSA (that would be a Public Service Announcement, not the controversial prostate cancer screening test) directed to our patients. Dear Patients, First of all, thank you for calling for an appointment. Seriously. Ever since I’ve gone open access, if the phone doesn’t ring I’m toast. And thank you for your interest in preventive care. The fact that it’s now free (well, no cost to you at time of service; trust me, it’s not “free”) has probably motivated more of you to call. That’s okay. But sometimes it seems that your idea of a “Physical” and mine are worlds apart. A General Physical examination, often shortened to “a physical,”  is the term used by most people (and most insurance companies, including the ACA/ObamaCare) to refer to a periodic encounter for preventive care. Other synonyms include a “well visit”, or just a “checkup.” Preventive services are, by definition, things done for healthy people. Got that? HEALTHY. As in not sick, no symptoms, feeling well. There’s actually a lot we need to accomplish at a preventive care visit. In addition to reviewing your medical history (no, I may not have known you had your knee scoped last month), updating your medication and allergy list, addressing your immunization status, and doing a basic examination, this is when we go over your diet, talk about your exercise regimen, and review what ...
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs