Health Literacy 101: Preventive Care
Preventive care’s primary tool is the annual wellness exam, to educate patients on self-care, identify potential problems and establish baseline numbers.
I’m betting you’re among the 92 percent of adults who agree that it’s important to see the doctor at least once a year. But are you also part of the 38 percent who don’t do it?
True, there isn’t much solid research confirming its role in detecting medical issues, but I’ll still argue for the value of spending that quality patient-provider time.
Take responsibility to find reliable preventive test recommendations for a person of your age, gender, medical history and known family diseases. There are countless sources available. I happen to like these:
- www.medlineplus.gov - Health Screening
- www.cdc.gov - CDC Prevention Checklist
- www.hopkinsmedicine.org - Screening Tests for Common Diseases
Remember those studies on health literacy? A major finding was that only 12 percent of American adults can properly prepare for a medical test. Come on, really? Aim for optimal accuracy by following any instructions, and if you’re not sure what to do — and not do — ask questions until you are.
If possible, have the results available to discuss during your exam appointment. Personally, I like to get my tests over and done with all at once — especially the icky ones — so I schedule them just prior to my annual visit.
I once had a physician who scrupulously mailed my blood panel report to me every year. I scrupulously filed it away every year. Don’t ask me why, because I didn’t have a clue what those numbers meant. (That was the old me.) Here’s my advice to you, once diagnostics of any kind are available:
- If you don’t have an appointment already scheduled, contact your provider’s office to discuss results.
- Learn if there are any issues to address and, if so, agree on a treatment plan.
- Follow the treatment plan.
- Feel free to do independent research to raise your health literacy score.
Please join us in the 62 Percent Club. You’ll find we’re preventive-care literate — not to mention a super fun group of people.
Next installment: Medication and polypharmacy
Attorney Jo Kline has been writing award-winning books and teaching about medical decision making and health literacy for more than a decade.