Comment by robbiep | Hacker News Reader

Comment by robbiep | Hacker News Reader

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Preventative care is different from the concept of all round comprehensive annual physical as it has been propagated through the culture from the American experience (I practice in Australia, so am talking from what I see from time working there, and the trickle through effect culturally of Australians thinking this is something they ‘have’ to have).

Preventative care consists of positive health messages (smoking cessation, moderate alcohol consumption, healthy diet, exercise), early identification of at risk individuals through family history, obesity, and then population wide cancer screening. Preventative care does not mean take a dozen tubes of blood and a pot of urine on every person every year.

I’m really sorry to hear about your kidney failure

Annual checkups are just that. 1) Body weight measurements. 2) The doctor talking to you about whether you have any medical or life concerns. 3) The doctor sharing advice on diet improvements, smoking improvements, exercise plans, including providing resources for them. 4) Recommended screenings based on age. 5) 1-2 vials of blood to get basic health information such as glucose levels, vitamin levels, etc. 6) Urine samples are only required if you're sexually active with multiple partners to screen for STDs and is completely optional.

That's been my experience. Through the annual physical I've been able to handle several minor issues, which have materially improved my life, and identified a major diagnosis that goes undiagnosed in the majority of people throughout their lives, and leads to them living significantly worse lives than they would have otherwise. By identifying it early, I have a chance for a much better lifestyle, and reducing the odds of an early death greatly.

Let me be really clear, everyone should have a doctor. But the concept of an annual checkup, as though there is a process to it and if you haven’t been to the doctor in the last 12 months is something you have to go through, is not part of general medical care. For the average under 30, and even under 40 male, with no family history, you are literally just pissing money away ordering annual vitamin, hormone and at some level lipid levels (although occasional checks are definitely useful).

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