Physicians insist on the importance of regular wellness screenings — just don’t call them physicals.
The term “physical” is outdated, says George M. Abraham, president of the American College of Physicians and chief of medicine at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Mass. In reality, he says, what patients need is less a head-to-toe examination than an annual preventive visit — a chance for doctor and patient to check in and cover topics that might not come up during more focused sessions.
Over the years, there has been a movement away from annual physicals and toward routine preventive screenings. Researchers are split on the concrete value of general health exams. In 2019, a systematic review of general health checks published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews concluded that routine physicals are “unlikely to be beneficial” and can lead to unnecessary testing.
Read more at Washington Post.