Why the Traditional Annual Physical Falls Short and How Grove Family Health Does it Differently

As we are near the end of the first month of the new year hopefully you all have evaluated changes you would like to make to your health including being more regular and consistent with your healthcare.   For many patients the annual physical exam is intended to serve as a cornerstone of preventative healthcare. However, in the traditional insurance-based-healthcare system, these visits are often brief, highly structured and limited in scope. While labeled as a “comprehensive,” the reality is that patients are frequently discourage from addressing specific symptoms or ongoing concerns during these appointments. This is not a reflection of provider competence or concern but rather a consequence of how traditional healthcare is designed and reimbursed.

In most conventional practices, annual physicals are governed by insurance requirements  and billing constraints. Providers are expected to focus on standardized preventative measures such as vital signs, routine lab work, and aged based preventative counseling. Visits are often limited to 10-20 minutes, leaving little opportunity for in-depth discussion. Often when patients bring up issues such as fatigue, weight changes, hormonal symptoms, sleep and stress related concerns they are told these require a separate visit. This fragmented approach can result in delayed diagnosis or management or chronic conditions, missed opportunities for early intervention, patient frustration and lack of personalized care.

At Grove Family Health our Direct Primary Care approach allows us to fundamentally change how annual visits and overall healthcare is delivered. We take the time to listen with extended and unrushed visits, comprehensive discussion about both preventative and active concerns with a patient centered approach. At Grove Family Health you are encouraged to discuss anything impacting your health whether it is new or something you have been concerned with for years. We do not make you prioritize or “save” issues for another appointment.

Direct Primary Care allows for a deeper more clinically meaningful evaluation. At Grove

Family health annual visits often include review of long term lab trends rather than isolated

values, discussion of lifestyle factors, evaluation of cardiometabolic, hormonal and

inflammatory risk factors as well as individualized preventative strategies based on

personal and family history.

Beyond the annual visit, patients at Grove Family Health benefit from same day or next day

appointments when needed, direct communication with the provider via phone, text or

email, fewer urgent care or emergency visits, and a stronger more consistent provider patient relationship. Healthcare becomes proactive, continuous and collaborative rather

than episodic and reactive.

An annual physical should not feel rushed, restrictive or incomplete. It should be an

opportunity for meaningful conversation, preventive planning and thoughtful evaluation of

your overall health. At Grove Family Health we believe patients deserve time to be heard,

care that addresses the whole person and a provider that knows them beyond a single visit.

If you are tired of rushed visits, fragmented care, and being told to “schedule another

appointment” it may be time to experience a better model of primary care.