Customized Executive Physical Examination
at
Fair Lakes Urgent Care Center
What is a Comprehensive Executive Physical Examination?
By definition, this is a form of preventive medicine consisting of physical and diagnostic evaluations guided not by what has been deemed cost effective in any given population, instead it is driven by an individual's unique risks and balanced by available resources to effectively detect preventable illnesses. With this definition in mind, it begs an alternative nomenclature: Individual Directed Physical Examination(IDPE). The reason this evaluation retains the name Executive Physical lies in the historical background that for the most part it's been offered to corporate executives and very wealthy individuals for whom cost is not an issue. As a result, a test that may not be cost effective for the society at large in detecting preventable illnesses is still offered upon request or on corporate demand. Sometimes the nature of an individual's job demands that the medical establishment goes the extra mile to detect illnesses as is the case with pilots, astronauts and fortune 500 CEOs.
To explain the concept better, let's look at the current approach to Heart attacks, Breast cancers and Strokes(brain attacks) - leading causes of death in the US. The usual practice is to initiate mammography (a test for detecting early cancer of the breast in women) at age 40 and then every 1-2 years. For the entire society, this approach may be more cost effective for the nation's economy but for a given individual with a strong family history, beginning this test earlier and doing it more frequently can make the difference between life and death. At Fair Lakes Urgent Care Center, we factor this understanding in our evaluation of patients for Executive Physicals, hence individuals are assessed thoroughly and subsequent preventive diagnostic testing is ordered following comprehensive evaluation rather than using standards driven by cost cutting managed care plans.
Let's look at another scenario - the issue of heart attacks and strokes, if one's father, grandfather and other close relatives have been known to have heart attacks and strokes in their 40's and 50's, why wait till you get to that age range before initiating steps to prevent these illnesses. We believe if you are at increased risk, the sooner you get screened, the better the outcome of any necessary therapy.
While it is true that the IDPE approach may not be the most effective when you are faced with limited resources, it is clear that it has the potential to serve the health needs of each individual best. It is from this background that the proponents of Executive Physical continue to recommend the individual focus approach to preventive physical examination.
Components of the Executive Physical
The following is a list of the procedures offered as part of the comprehensive physical examination. It must be remembered that this list is by no means complete. As stated above, testing and examination are highly tailored to individual risks rather than set guidelines, and this individual approach is the hallmark of executive physical.Arranging for Executive Physical Examination
- Rectal and Prostate exam for Males.
- PSA level for all males over 40 - sooner for those with a strong family history.
- Pelvic exam and PAP smear for females.
- Breast exam for females.
- Mammogram for females over age 35 or 10 years earlier than the age a first degree relative developed breast cancer - which ever comes first.
- Blood work (Complete blood count, Liver function test, Kidney function test, Thyroid test when indicated by history but a must for all women over age 50, Cholesterol testing, C-Reactive Protein, and Ferritin blood level).
- Chest X-rays and CAT scans when appropriate.
- EKG.
- Stress testing for everybody over 40 years of age or over 22 with a positive history or at high risk.
- Basic Spirometry (if presently smokes or has smoked within 5 years).
- Colonoscopy if over age 40 or 10 years earlier than the age a first degree relative developed colon cancer - which ever comes first.
- Eye examination with particular attention to Glaucoma screening.
- Appropriate immunizations - (Pneumonia shots, Tetanus, Hepatitis B shots, etc.) when indicated by history.
- Additional testing may be indicated for other illnesses if there is a strong family or environmental history.
The first step is to arrange to speak with our office administrator, Ms Monica Charo. The contact phone number is (703) 222-3555. The alternative is to send an e-mail to us at urgentcaredoc@aol.com.
Following this preliminary discussion, we will proceed to set up appointments. We expect that the visits may last up to 2 hours. For diagnostic tests not done in our office, we will set up the appointments for you at your convenience. Once you are done with all the diagnostic testing, you will be set up for another appointment. The purpose of the second visit is to review all the diagnostic tests with you and recommend appropriate therapeutic interventions and life style modifications that can prevent medical catastrophes. Copies of your medical records will be made available to you for your health records. We expect IDPEs to be done once a year. In some individuals, it may be more or less frequent depending on the circumstances.
Executive Physical Questionnaire
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