Annual Physical Exams Specialist
Annual physical exams are arguably the most important element in prevention and early detection of disease. The proactive team at Florida Family Practice provide comprehensive annual exams to patients of all ages in the Tampa
Annual Physical Exams Q & A
Many potentially life-threatening conditions progress without symptoms. This means that patients can be suffering from conditions that are causing damage to their internal organs and never feel sick at all until it’s too late. Annual physicals provide the patient’s doctor with important information that reveals risk for disease like these. This allows the doctor to order necessary tests for diagnosis and screening and develop a proactive treatment plan to either decrease risk and prevent disease or treat the disease before extensive damage occurs.
Annual physicals are also a good time to discuss changes in condition, mental health concerns, and lifestyle.
During their annual physical, patients can expect:
- to have their vital signs (blood pressure, weight, respirations, oxygen saturation, temperature) taken, evaluated, and discussed with them.
- to have their body mass index calculated and discussed with them.
- to share and discuss their complete medical history.
- to review and discuss their family medical history.
- to have recommended preventative screenings performed or scheduled (pap smear, mammogram, colonoscopy, or blood tests depending on gender, age, and risk factors).
- to discuss risk factors and diagnoses and leave with a plan.
Most insurance policies recognize the necessity of annual physical exam and cover it under preventative services. In addition, most insurance policies cover recommended preventive screenings such as pap smears, mammograms, colonoscopies, and blood tests as long as the patient meets the requirements for eligibility. Patients are encouraged to discuss their physical with their insurance company representative prior to their appointment.
Patients are referred to a specialist when they are diagnosed with a condition that requires advanced testing, diagnosis, or treatment from a specialized provider or utilizing specialized equipment. The most common specialists patients are referred to include:
- dermatologists, who specialize in skin conditions
- cardiologists, who specialize in heart disease
- endocrinologists, who specialize in diseases of the endocrine system
- pulmonologists, who specialize in respiratory disease
In these cases, the specialist, the primary care doctor, and the patient work closely together to manage the patient’s condition.