OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — You’re a healthy adult. Do you need an annual physical? A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds 92 percent of Americans say an annual exam is important even though a large body of research finds it isn’t.
The annual physical is a ritual that goes back many decades in America. Tracy Warriner says it’s how she learned she has high cholesterol.
“Some things that were brewing that were asymptomatic, so being able to do that has now put me on a more healthy track,” said Warriner.
Her internal medicine specialist is Dr. Marie Delcambre of Kansas City Internal Medicine.
“I personally have found aneurysms that were on the verge of rupture in someone who came in simply for their routine annual physical exam,” said Dr. Delcambre.
She believes in the annual exam, but not so much because of the rare discovery of an aneurysm or cancer.
“The utility really is in having the opportunity to talk to the patients about their lifestyle and talk to the patients about prevention,” she said.
It’s her chance to encourage them to get vaccinated, exercise and eat right. But the Society for General Internal Medicine now says doctors should avoid annual exams for healthy adults. Downsides include cost and the potential for false positive test results that can lead to unnecessary follow-up testing.
A large review of studies found no difference in deaths or hospitalizations between people who had annual exams and those who didn’t. Dr. Delcambre says she has documented fewer hospital stays in her own practice in those visiting annually.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force rejects the standard annual exam. Instead, it emphasizes that the frequency and content should be tailored to the individual and their age, health risks and preferences.
Dr. Delcambre agrees with individualizing the exam, but still thinks it should be annual.
