Annual Wellness Visit in Wichita, KS

What is an Annual Wellness Visit?

An annual wellness visit is a regular visit with a primary care physician every year to evaluate your overall wellness and condition of your health. This visit can help your physician learn important information about your lifestyle, along with your physical and mental health. If you are due for an annual wellness visit, call to request an appointment at our primary care clinic today.

Why Do I Need an Annual Visit?

An annual visit can help give you the peace of mind and help you stay on track with your health.

Even if your overall health is okay and you don’t have any medical problems you’re aware of, you can benefit from this type of visit to help prevent future health problems or spot issues early.

Your annual wellness visit can also help you get to know your physician. This is helpful to establish care and allow your physician to know what is normal for you and some conditions you may be at risk for as the years go on.

Although no one is required to have an annual visit, most insurance companies will cover the cost for this visit, as it is greatly beneficial to see a primary care physician regularly.

You may consider an annual visit: 

• To identify risk factors for common chronic diseases
• To detect a disease that has no apparent symptoms
• To promote healthy habits
• To update clinical data
• To update vaccinations
• To enhance relationship between you and your primary care provider

What is Evaluated at an Annual Wellness Visit?

During your annual visit, your physician may evaluate the following:

Medical History

At your visit, you will be asked about your medical history. You may also discuss your lifestyle behaviors like sleeping, smoking, alcohol use, diet, exercise or sexual health.

You can discuss your family history and any diseases that you may be at risk for. You can also discuss when you should start screening for various types of cancer, heart complications, or other conditions.

Vital Signs

You primary care physician will check your heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, and respiratory rate. This can give a good overall picture of your body and wellness.

Medications

At this visit, you can discuss any medications you take regularly. You may also receive the following immunizations:

• Pneumonia Vaccine
• Shingles Vaccine
• Flu Vaccine
• Tetanus Vaccine

Screening Tests

If you and your primary care specialist have specific concerns or dependent upon your sex / age  your provider may order the following screening tests:

• Labs
• Cervical Cancer Screening
• Mammogram
• Colon Cancer Screening
• Osteoporosis Screening
• Depression Screening

What happens after an annual wellness visit?

Assuming you’re healthy and your test results come back normal, you’ll only need to do an annual wellness visit once a year. Your physician will also likely provide recommendations to improve or stay at your current level of health.

If an issue shows up or you receive abnormal test results, you may need to go back for more tests or additional follow-up appointments. Your primary care physician will likely want to discuss the results with you and come up with a personalized treatment plan that will fit your current health conditions.