Physicians generally acknowledge and strongly endorse the benefits of primary prevention practices. In fact, prevention may be one of the most essential pillars of public health. Primary care providers can reduce the physical, emotional, and financial burden of illnesses by preventing rather than treating disease. Properly integrated preventative care may minimize disease nationally while reducing the morbidity of several chronic conditions. Studies also show that when integrated with proper lifestyle changes, preventative care may reduce chronic disease and disability.
Ideally, preventative care utilizes strategies that meet your patient’s personal needs. One-on-one counseling enables physicians to develop individualized, comprehensive approaches to potential health problems. One significant study compared subjects who received personalized preventative assistance and traditional care over five years. Subjects with individualized healthcare plans experienced fewer emergency hospital admissions than their counterparts. They also had fewer elective, non-elective, and avoidable admissions. At the end of the five years, subjects with personalized preventative care were 62% less likely to be hospitalized than those following traditional approaches.
However, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimates that missed prevention opportunities are still so large and rampant that they cost the US $55 billion annually. With such a large window of missed opportunities, how can Physicians inspire their patients to take better control of their overall long-term health?
Although patients may point to factors such as the distance to a clinic, cost, adequate transportation, etc., the root of the issue may be the general lack of awareness patients have on recommended preventative health services. Most patients seek care when they are experiencing symptoms rather than preventative services, and it is estimated that only 8% of Americans undergo routine preventive screenings.
Although Primary Care Physicians are typically a key source for patients seeking advice about their healthcare, the American Medical Association (AMA) encourages all Physicians, Specialists, and Healthcare providers to work together to provide patients with insights, recommendations, and resources to maintain and improve their health.
Health screenings can provide critical insights to fuel preventative services. They play an essential role in diagnostics and help identify various diseases. According to Johns Hopkins Medical, routine health screenings provide valuable data for physicians that improves patient outcomes over time.
As screening practices have evolved, alternative testing options such as wellness panels have taken center stage. Wellness panels are screenings that help evaluate patients’ general health. By synthesizing key patient data in a single report, wellness panels expedite routine checkups and diagnostics. These panels empower practitioners to optimize their preventative care screenings.
Unlike comprehensive wellness panels, most traditional health screenings test for a specific disease. Cancer, diabetes, and depression tests are all traditional health screenings that seek to identify a particular condition before symptoms appear. These screenings are more narrow and are sometimes used to describe the prevalence of a condition within a population rather than to diagnose individual patients. As traditional screenings are limited to one illness, a thorough examination requires comprehensive lab testing for each patient.
Early detection can mitigate the severity of illness and improve life expectancy by limiting expensive therapies and eliminating years of treatment—all without additional direct costs. These proactive measures could reduce the economic impact of disease by as much as 27%. These stats are particularly promising for at-risk patients, as early detection might facilitate lifestyle changes and treatments that reduce a chronic condition’s long-term effect.
Unfortunately, patients are unlikely to request early detection, as they often fail to identify symptoms or may be asymptomatic. To overcome this challenge, newer, more holistic wellness panels may help identify potential issues, even if symptoms are absent.
In the realm of preventative healthcare, incorporating lab testing and diagnostics into regular health screenings is essential for optimizing patient outcomes. Although medical practitioners begin their education with a strong foundation in biochemistry and physiology, they often move away from these disciplines as their training progresses. A deeper understanding of these principles underscores the critical role of lab testing in comprehending patients’ bio-individuality. Routine and comprehensive blood tests are instrumental for practitioners, enabling them to decode the intricate biochemistry of their patients.
Key biomarkers that should be assessed to obtain a holistic view of health include hormone levels, indicators of inflammation, essential vitamins and minerals, aging markers such as DHEA and pregnenolone, and cardiac markers. By focusing on these parameters, healthcare providers can tailor interventions more precisely, ultimately enhancing preventative care and promoting long-term well-being. Access Medical Labs offers General Health & Wellness Screens that help you maximize accuracy and convenience in patient care. Our selection of panels includes:
Wellness Basic Panel: This panel measures fundamental markers in the blood to develop an overview of your patient’s cardiovascular, metabolic, and hormonal health.
Wellness Extended Panel: Our Wellness Extended Panel provides a detailed report to help practitioners identify inflammation, isolate potential deficiencies, and evaluate whole-body health.
Male and Female Quick Check Panels: These panels measure biomarkers essential to sexual, reproductive, and hormonal health.
Backed by a staff of expert technicians and state-of-the-art facilities, our panels are highly sensitive, readily available, and easy to use. We recommended administering a Wellness Extended Panel with the Male or Female Quick Check Panel for optimal results. To streamline your patient care, our General Health and Wellness Screens provide reliable results in as little as 24 hours. Explore more from Access Medical Labs.