What is an Annual Wellness Visit?
What is an Annual Wellness Visit?An annual wellness visit is a type of preventative care. It is focused on maintaining wellness and keeping health problems from occurring. An annual wellness visit allows you and your primary care physician to focus on preventative actions you can take to reduce your risk for disease and other conditions.
This visit provides your doctor with a picture of your overall health and helps to catch any health problems in their earliest stages when most treatment options are available. These visits are separate from other medical visits you have with your physician, which may be related to illness or injury.
What Happens at an Annual Wellness Visit?
What Happens at an Annual Wellness Visit?A wellness visit helps your doctor determine what is working for you and what steps you should take to maintain your health and well-being. The wellness visit will update your doctor on your overall health through other assessment measures, including discussion questions and health screenings.
Annual wellness visits are usually between 30 and 45 minutes long. You may be asked to answer a questionnaire about your health prior to meeting with your doctor. Your responses will provide important information that will be discussed during your wellness visit.
What happens at an annual wellness visit may vary depending on your age, gender, and risk factors and may include any of the following:
- Screenings for things like cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, STDs, or certain cancers
- Screenings for cognitive impairment and depression
- Questions from your doctor about your current stress level, physical activity, weight, diet, nutrition, drug and alcohol use
- Shots and immunizations
- Discussion of your current lifestyle and health choices
- Examination of personal and family medical histories
- Checking your vitals and BMI (body mass index or measure of body fat based on height and weight)
- Establishing a plan for maintaining your health
- Discussion of medications and supplements you are taking
Preparing for an Annual Wellness Visit
PreparingIt is important that you are able to answer all of the questions your doctor may ask during an annual wellness visit as the information you provide will serve as the basis for the wellness plan you and your doctor work together to create. Preparing for your visit beforehand is essential.
Before your annual wellness visit, you should write (and remember to bring) the following lists:
- Current medications and supplements you are taking
- Immunization records
- Past operations, hospitalizations, major illnesses and treatments, injuries, and allergies
- Major medical events of your children, parents, and siblings; include conditions and diseases that may be hereditary
- Health risks or concerns that you currently have
What to Expect After an Annual Wellness Visit
After the visitFollowing your annual wellness visit, it is important to begin implementing the plan you and your doctor have created. This may include any of the following:
- Following a modified set of medication or other healthcare instructions
- Implementing preventative actions in your daily life, such as new or modified physical activity
- Making changes to your daily diet and nutrition plan
- Making follow-up appointments as needed
Book an Annual Wellness Visit at NewYork-Presbyterian
Annual wellness visits are an essential part of maintaining good health. Booking your wellness visit appointment is the first step. With early, late, and weekend hours and both in-person and video visits available, NewYork-Presbyterian is ready for you to schedule your appointment. Most insurance plans are accepted at NewYork-Presbyterian, making it easy for you to get started with annual wellness visits.