The staff at Access Primary Care Physicians provide health screening and monitoring services to help you detect symptoms and conditions before they become bigger problems. Regular health screening is important whether you have a chronic disease, or hope to prevent one from developing.

 

What is health screening?

The main purpose of health screening is to detect risk factors or early signs of disease in a single person or group of people. This is different from a diagnostic test, which determines the presence of a disease in an individual and what treatments, if any, they should receive.

 

Health screening can help identify someone who may need additional testing or treatments, sometimes before they show symptoms. The type of health screening you may need depends on your age, sex, family medical history and other risk factors.

 

For example, a colonoscopy is used to screen for early signs of colon cancer, usually in the form of non-cancerous polyps. Screening can help identify a precancerous polyp, allowing it to be removed before it becomes cancer.

 

What does health monitoring involve?

People who receive health monitoring services usually have been diagnosed with a disease, or have been found to have a significant risk for a particular disease. With health monitoring, your doctor routinely evaluates your health for any changes, including changes to your health risks.

 

For example, diabetes monitoring usually involves regular checkups with your primary doctor or endocrinologist. You may receive regular tests to check your blood glucose levels, as well as other health markers like cholesterol and blood pressure. Depending on what these tests show, your doctor may recommend changes to your health plan, such as a new medication or dietary changes.

 

Whether you require health screening to minimize risks or health monitoring to help manage disease, the team at Access Primary Care Physicians will partner with you to develop a plan for your individual health needs and goals.