Have you had a physical examination in the past year? Have each of your children? Pediatricians and Family Practitioners recommend each child be seen for well care once a year (more frequently for children under 2 years of age). Yet, many parents see little reason for this. They only want to bring the children in to see a physician when the school requires a physical, or when the child is sick. This is a gamble you may not want to take.
The annual physical is a tool used by clinicians to monitor your health. Please, do not think it unnecessary just because you or your children are healthy, today. In children, the visit is key in watching growth and development, and updating immunizations. When you are around your child every day, you may not notice subtle changes in their growth, such as a slowing of height velocity or excessive weight gain. Without measuring your child on a regular basis, short stature problems may not be diagnosed in time for treatment to be administered. Also, thirty percent of adults in America are overweight. This number is rapidly climbing in children and teens, as well. If obesity is diagnosed early it is much easier to treat, and the chronic illnesses associated with it can be avoided. Similarly, these visits are an excellent opportunity for the doctor to check your child's development.
Let's talk for a moment about immunizations. These should be updated at every physical examination. Immunization recommendations change every year. If your child or teen was up to date last summer, they may not be in accordance with the new guidelines this summer. If your provider sees your children every year, this gives him or her an opportunity to offer your child the best protection against a wide variety of diseases.
I hope your children are all healthy. However, what if they are not? Many subtle diseases and disorders cannot be diagnosed at their initial presentation. That would be the first visit for which you bring that child to the doctor for that problem. If your clinician does not know your children very well, this can delay the correct diagnosis. These delays can be financially costly, or even life-threatening. Your doctor should know your children, and they should know their doctor. This type of knowledge comes from continuity of care, or seeing the same doctor regularly.
If your child is unfortunate enough to have a chronic illness, then they may already be seeing their primary care physician regularly. However, many chronic illnesses require the input of a specialist. This specialist should work with your primary care doctor. This not only improves outcomes, but can actually reduce the overall number of office visits. For example, if your child has a disorder that needs to be followed every 6 months, the specialist may want to see your child at month 1, and your primary can see that same child at month 7, etc.This way both physicians are familiar with what is happening to your child and have continuity of care.
Many parents want to take their children to a convenience clinic for annual visits. Here, your children are not going to see their own physician. They may not see a physician at all. They may see someone with little or no recent experience treating children. This is important, because these providers may not be trained in how to pick up "silent" cardiac problems in your teen athlete. They may not have all, or any, of your child's immunization records. They frequently do not have the necessary time to do a complete family history, which is indicated in a teen athlete they have not seen previously. Please, make it a priority to have such examinations done by your child's primary care provider.
So, you see, there are many advantages to having an annual physical. We monitor your children's growth and development. Immunization statuses are updated. We also look for new illnesses as well as monitoring chronic ones. Continuity of care is provided. We call it "routine healthcare maintenance." It's like getting the oil changed in your car on a routine basis.
Dr Nan N
House Call Pediatrician, Overland Park, KS
State of the art care for your child in your home.
http://FiresidePediatrics.com
http://PersonalMedicine.com
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