{"id":12205,"date":"2021-02-15T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2021-02-15T14:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=12205"},"modified":"2022-04-18T11:01:50","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T16:01:50","slug":"why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Why routine checkups are essential for good health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Often, especially when we\u2019re young, it is easy to put off a routine checkup with your primary care provider<\/a> (PCP). But just because you feel fine doesn\u2019t mean you should avoid a quick stop with your PCP. Following a routine that best meets your health care needs is essential for good health.<\/p>\n

\u201cRegular checkups help keep recommended screenings up to date and help identify problems as early as possible,\u201d said Mark Meeker, DO,<\/a> an internal medicine physician and vice president of Community Medicine for OSF HealthCare. \u201cThe more you regularly communicate with your PCP and let them know how you\u2019re feeling and taking care of your body, the better chance they have of identifying and helping you avoid health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is a routine checkup?<\/h2>\n

For the sake of brevity, the common term has been \u201cannual checkup.\u201d However, Dr. Meeker says that term is a little misleading.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time between checkups may vary depending on age, gender, risk factors for health problems, etc.,\u201d Dr. Meeker said. \u201cA discussion with your PCP about the frequency of checkups is best to fit it to your individual needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, high blood pressure<\/a> is often referred to as the \u201csilent killer\u201d because most often, there are no symptoms. The first sign of high blood pressure can be a disaster event like a heart attack, stroke<\/a> or even sudden death. Blood pressure checks are routine at checkups, providing your PCP with a history of your normal blood pressure ranges. Routine checkups help identify and stop problems before they develop.<\/p>\n

If you suffer from a chronic illness, you might need additional checkups.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t manage a chronic condition well without appropriate checkups with your care team.\u00a0 It may not always be with your physician. Sometimes it may be another member of the team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What you can expect<\/h2>\n

A routine appointment<\/a> is a perfect time to interact with your PCP, giving them insight into your needs \u2013 both now and in the future. The appointment usually takes between 20 and 45 minutes, depending upon your situation and the complexity of your needs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to take this time to have a good dialogue about your health, answer your questions and review any screening exams or tests you need to have done,\u201d Dr. Meeker said. \u201cIf you have chronic health issues, a review of those and a thorough review of the treatment regimen including any medications should also take place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Meeker suggests writing down any questions you have so you don\u2019t forget to ask your PCP.<\/p>\n

Whether you will require lab or blood work depends upon many factors, including age, gender, medical history and risk factors.<\/p>\n

The modern twist<\/h2>\n

Due to advances in telemedicine, you have more options to manage your health.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t necessarily need to go into the office.\u00a0Video visits<\/a> work well for some checkups,\u201d Dr. Meeker said. \u201cThose that require a physical exam, however, need to be done face to face.\u201d<\/p>\n

The important thing is to make an appointment. And don\u2019t count urgent care<\/a> visits as a routine checkup.<\/p>\n

\u201cUrgent care clinics are designed to take care of the urgent problem. They want to take care of your immediate issue and get you in and out as quickly as reasonable,\u201d Dr. Meeker said. \u201cThey\u2019re not designed for regular checkups and screenings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own health. Following a PCP checkup routine<\/a> helps identify any problems and avoid unnecessary health issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":12224,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[129,735],"tags":[602,983],"coauthors":[687],"class_list":["post-12205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous","category-preventive-health","tag-primary-care","tag-video-visit"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy routine checkups are essential for good health | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why routine checkups are essential for good health\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OSF HealthCare Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-15T14:00:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-04-18T16:01:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David Pruitt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Why routine checkups are essential for good health\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@osfhealthcare\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"David Pruitt\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/\",\"name\":\"Why routine checkups are essential for good health | OSF HealthCare\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-15T14:00:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-04-18T16:01:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/958ed81be889316c3d5c0abf8ef74f88\"},\"description\":\"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Provider and patient consult during annual checkup.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why routine checkups are essential for good health\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"OSF HealthCare Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/958ed81be889316c3d5c0abf8ef74f88\",\"name\":\"David Pruitt\",\"description\":\"David Pruitt is a writer for the Marketing & Communications division of OSF HealthCare. He has a bachelor\u2019s of journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and worked as a reporter before joining OSF HealthCare in 2014. An avid golfer and fisherman, David was born and raised Alton, Illinois, which is where he currently resides with his son, James.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/author\/dpruitt\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why routine checkups are essential for good health | OSF HealthCare","description":"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why routine checkups are essential for good health","og_description":"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.","og_url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/","og_site_name":"OSF HealthCare Blog","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/osfhealthcare","article_published_time":"2021-02-15T14:00:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-04-18T16:01:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"David Pruitt","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Why routine checkups are essential for good health","twitter_description":"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg","twitter_creator":"@osfhealthcare","twitter_site":"@osfhealthcare","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"David Pruitt","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/","name":"Why routine checkups are essential for good health | OSF HealthCare","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg","datePublished":"2021-02-15T14:00:07+00:00","dateModified":"2022-04-18T16:01:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/958ed81be889316c3d5c0abf8ef74f88"},"description":"A routine checkup with your primary care provider is a chance to share your health needs \u2013 both now and in the future.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Provider and patient consult during annual checkup."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-routine-checkups-are-essential-for-good-health\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why routine checkups are essential for good health"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/","name":"OSF HealthCare Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/958ed81be889316c3d5c0abf8ef74f88","name":"David Pruitt","description":"David Pruitt is a writer for the Marketing & Communications division of OSF HealthCare. He has a bachelor\u2019s of journalism from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and worked as a reporter before joining OSF HealthCare in 2014. An avid golfer and fisherman, David was born and raised Alton, Illinois, which is where he currently resides with his son, James.","url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/author\/dpruitt\/"}]}},"modified_by":null,"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/annual-exam-doctor-patient.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12205"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15605,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12205\/revisions\/15605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12205"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=12205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}