Periodic Health Exams
As you may have seen in the news, many researchers have been saying for years that it’s time to ditch the annual checkup. The “complete annual physical” is no longer considered a good model of care. It’s not even covered by OHIP anymore due to the lack of apparent benefit shown in recent research.
We do encourage you to book periodic health reviews with your primary physician, both to maintain a healthy and trusting relationship, as well as to keep on top of any screening tests or other preventive health interventions that may be beneficial. However, the frequency and the duration of these visits varies greatly depending on your overall health and the number of health-related issues that you are experiencing.
In summary, the “annual physical” has been replaced with a more patient-centric, flexible model of care. If you have any health-related concerns, rather than waiting for a physical, reach out to us at your convenience.
What about screening tests?
On a related note, many patients are accustomed to having a “panel of blood tests” done each year, usually at their annual physical, “just to ensure nothing’s wrong”.
We now know ordering tests indiscriminately like this tends to cause more harm than good.
Lawrence Park Medical 