Do health check-ups, as they are commonly known, really improve health? As Prim. Dr. Josef Macher, President of the Association of Private Hospitals and Medical Director and Managing Director of the Diakonissen Clinic in Linz, knows, annual check-ups should be on the agenda of everyone over the age of 40. But not all health checks are the same. In five tips, he reveals the secret of good preventive care, what you should bear in mind and what potential it has.
Tip 1: Preventive check-up as a fixed point in the calendar
Although doctors recommend an annual health check-up from the age of 40, many people avoid having a check-up. There can be various reasons for this, one of which is probably quite banal, as Prim. Dr. Josef Macher explains: "The appointment calendar is too full. There's always something more important to do and so people put off the examination. In addition, many people also fear that a 'negative diagnosis' may be made during a screening." Even if these fears are understandable - earlier treatment is always better than late treatment or no treatment at all, as it naturally increases the chances of a cure.
Tip 2: Take individual factors into account
"Science is very divided when it comes to assessing the success of preventive examinations," says the President of the Association of Austrian Private Hospitals. "But one thing has become clear: Preventive care programs are very useful if they take into account the individuality of each person." This is why Austrian private clinics focus on individual contextual factors in their health checks. For example, what clinical pictures are there in the immediate family, what influencing factors are there due to the profession practiced, diet, lifestyle, etc.?
Tip 3: Interdisciplinary compilation
When it comes to preventive examinations, quality is more important than quantity: "It's not about stringing together as many screenings and examinations as possible. Based on the preliminary findings, we take a close look at a person's risk profile in advance and decide what is necessary on an individual basis," explains Macher. In a private clinic, for example, extensive tests from a wide range of specialist areas can be completed within a tight time frame. The experts work together on an interdisciplinary basis and guarantee medicine at the highest level. In addition to a comprehensive blood test, the standard screening program includes a lung X-ray, urine and haemoccult examination, resting ECG and ultrasound of the heart, upper abdomen, kidneys and neck vessels. If necessary, further individual examinations are carried out.
Tip 4: Advice for better prevention
However, the findings alone are not enough. "Many illnesses can be positively influenced or even completely avoided through a healthy lifestyle. For this reason, I would also recommend that any additional specialist advice is followed up on recommendation," advises Macher. In the clinics, nutritionists, sports scientists and other health experts are an integral part of the prevention programs in addition to the respective specialists, who not only communicate closely with each other, but can also immediately initiate any necessary consequences. "What advice can be given to the patient? Should any follow-up examinations be carried out? Patients then receive this information from a single source in a confidential discussion," explains Macher.
Tip 5: Adapt your lifestyle to personal factors
Apart from the early detection of illnesses, proactive preventive healthcare also has an immediate positive effect on those who carry it out regularly: "Health is the first duty in life, they say. To live a healthy life, the first step is to actively take responsibility for your own health. This also means dealing with your own disposition and lifestyle, then you are already heading in the right direction. Because prevention is the healthy future of every individual," emphasizes Macher.
About the association
The Association of Austrian Private Hospitals has represented the interests of legal entities of private hospitals since 1953 and has its own collective bargaining capacity. It represents one of the main pillars of the Austrian healthcare system.
Further information can be found at www.privatkrankenanstalten.at
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