Senior Health Maximizing Your Annual Wellness Visits 6/28/2023 | By Steven Marshall Annual wellness visits are an essential part of your health regimen. They provide valuable time for you and your provider to discuss your current health and any concerns you may be experiencing as well as plan a route for future wellness. With doctors’ office visits often compressed to around 15 minutes, it’s important to make wise use of the visit. This article offers ways to maximize the time for your annual wellness visit. During your visit, medical personnel will complete several tasks. If you take any prescribed medication, you will likely need blood and possibly urine testing completed. These tests ensure that none of your medications are causing any adverse effects on your kidneys or other vital organs. If you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, lab technicians will labs will check your current blood glucose. The doctor will also want to note your cholesterol, which is important to monitor, even if you do not currently take medication for high cholesterol. Personnel will also check vitals such as blood pressure. The time allotted for annual wellness visit appointment is getting shorter and shorter, so it is essential to maximize this time for your health. Most annual wellness visits are scheduled for approximately 15 minutes – this may sound like a long time; however, there are many tasks to complete in this time. You can maximize your visit by knowing details of your current health status and preparing questions and concerns before arriving at the office. Detailing your health status In today’s high-tech world, many tools can help keep track of your health. Individuals with diabetes can download apps that will help them track blood glucose readings and trends. Patients can use apps for recording blood pressure and weight. Most doctor’s offices have an online portal that allows you to review your medical history, including visit summaries and laboratory or other test results such as X-rays. Before your appointment Review your online portal information. Note any changes in medical history or missing or incorrect medications. Write down any health questions you may have. Record recent blood pressure readings, weight loss or gain, and blood glucose readings if applicable. Outline any trends in those readings. Include any recent medical procedures or new diagnoses. Keep your notes in a safe place. During your visit When the time comes for your visit, be sure to have your notes with you, on paper or in a electronic tablet. Once you have been placed in the exam room and the provider enters, you have likely come close to or exceeded the scheduled appointment time. Now the precious time you have left to interact directly with the provider begins. Review your medications and medical history and any changes. Ask health questions you have. Go over trends in blood pressure, weight, blood glucose, etc. Talk about recent medical procedures or diagnoses. Discuss concerns regarding your health. Ask for recommendations for maintaining health and preventing future issues. Related: Annual wellness visits for men – are they really necessary? Reviewing this information face to face will prevent potential miscommunication that could occur through telephone or electronic messaging through your patient portal. Taking the time to prepare will help maximize your annual wellness visits, improve your overall relationship with your provider, and help set the foundation for ongoing health. Read More Steven Marshall Dr. Steven Marshall, DNP, MSN, BSN, RN is a freelance health and medical writer with over 35 years of health care experience. He has worked in clinical and leadership roles throughout settings, including critical care, emergency care, air and ground transport, inpatient rehabilitation, oncology, infectious disease, ambulatory care clinics, and infusion therapy. He founded See Doc Nurse Write in 2023 to provide content sharing his clinical knowledge and experience across larger audiences.