Why Establishing Care With An Annual Wellness Visit Benefits Your Health

Your unique health baseline

Although there are standard health measurements in the medical community, every human body is unique, influenced by internal and external factors. For instance, a blood pressure reading of 130/80 or a heart rate of 55 beats per minute might be concerning in one patient, but completely standard for another. During an AWV, a healthcare provider can document baseline health markers when the patient is healthy. Baseline temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate naturally elevate when someone is unwell. Without establishing care, when a patient goes to a doctor, incorrect or inconsistent care happens. Having an established baseline gives the PCP a benchmark to compare against in the future. This makes spotting changes from the norm easier and helps with more accurate care or diagnosis.

Unlocking preventative medicine

If prevention is better than cure, an AWV is designed to ensure this phrase rings true. Regardless of how a patient feels, establishing care with AWV creates dedicated time on the calendar to assess any health challenges. Acute issues or complaints take a backseat to long-term strategy. During an AWV, a PCP can build a customized preventative screening schedule based on specific risk factors. The medical provider establishes timelines for mammograms, colonoscopies, or bone density scans. Trends in blood pressure, cholesterol, and lipid ratios can be monitored before cardiovascular damage forms. Patients can also keep up to date with immunizations and vaccines to prevent illness. When this preventative care is established, catching even the smallest metabolic shifts is possible. Healthcare becomes easier, cheaper, and more successful than treating a full-blown chronic disease later.

No more silos

When someone does not establish care with a PCP, the reliance falls on urgent care clinics, emergency rooms, or individual visits to specialists. As a result, medical history and continuity of care become fragmented. A doctor may prescribe medications or treatments without knowing the full context, thereby conflicting with other doctors’ instructions. Patients may undergo duplicate tests, which can be costly and time-consuming since records are not centralized. An AWV ensures health data and baseline checks sit in a central hub. There is now a single but comprehensive overview of past health markers, prescriptions, family medical history, allergies, prior surgeries, and lifestyle factors. Patients feel more confident that each medical interaction considers the patient’s entire health and lifestyle, leading to better outcomes.

Fast track your care

When someone suddenly gets severe pain, infection, rash, or other symptoms, options can be limited. The individual can spend hours waiting in urgent care or hundreds at a private center that has limited knowledge of the patient’s health. When someone with established care actually gets sick, there is already a wealth of information available to make sound decisions. Based on the relationship with the PCP, these patients receive priority treatment, direct communication with doctors, telehealth services, or faster prescription refills. Referrals to specialists are faster with more detailed information to share between medical professionals. Patients are taken seriously as there is significant information available to empower different medical specialists. Successful treatment improves, especially in situations where time is of the essence.

The power of an AWV

Annual wellness visits help patients establish a baseline of care that builds confidence and advocacy for health outcomes. This is no longer about relying on emergency care and hoping a solution is found. Patients who have consistent AWVs have data, treatment plans, and support, especially when acute illness occurs. Established care also makes health and wellness a proactive affair. Doctors will have context and medical history, meaning prescriptions, tests, and treatment are more accurate and customized to the patient’s unique health markers. With everything tracked, recorded, and monitored in a central space, healthcare is not left to chance.