Preventive Care: How to Live a Longer Life
June 06, 2022 | Tags:
You’ve heard it before. Preventive care is important because it can identify health issues before they become serious. But think about it from a different perspective — consistent preventive care can add years onto your life, said Dr. Kenneth M. Goetz, Manager, Medical Director for Clinical Quality and Health Services at Medical Mutual and Bravo Wellness.
If these simple procedures and screenings can have such a large impact on a person’s well-being, why do so many people let them slip by the wayside?
Don’t Wait to Schedule Care
When you feel healthy, it’s easy to push preventive medical care onto the back burner. Underlying anxiety about what test results could uncover or hesitancy because of an uncomfortable procedure are common reasons why people put off scheduling those preventive appointments, too.
Sometimes postponing preventive care isn’t even a conscious choice. With our busy lives, even something simple like establishing a primary care provider (PCP) or scheduling an appointment with an existing provider can seem like a daunting task to push off to tomorrow.
What Preventive Care Steps Should You Be Taking?
Many people aren’t even aware of which screenings, procedures and vaccinations they should get. To help you, we created a checklist of preventive care milestones. This tool — based on recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and healthcare.gov — is a resource to help you start your preventive care conversations with your PCP.
Always work with your primary care provider (PCP) to determine which screenings are appropriate for you, how often you should have them, and what your target results should be based on your personal risk factors. This list is designed for individuals at average risk. For individuals at high risk, the screening procedures and intervals may differ. Keep in mind that recommendations change, so keep the conversation going with your PCP about preventive care.