For healthy young women, an annual checkup with their primary care physician or gynecologist may be less about the physical exam and tests and more about establishing a relationship with their doctor, according to an NPR report.
“It's about the conversations,” Wanda Filer, M.D., a family physician and president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told NPR. "What I like to say is, if there's something you want to talk to me about, it’s fair game."
The annual visit allows women to have a face-to-face discussion with their doctor about preventive care or their health concerns and allows the physician to screen for issues such as alcohol or drug misuse or depression, according to the report. That may be as important as a physical exam, as scientific studies have questioned the need for routine pelvic and breast exams in women who have no symptoms. And tests may not be needed every year, such as cervical center screening, which is now recommended every three years.
Women may save up their health questions for that annual office visit, Barbara Levy, M.D., an OB-GYN who is vice president of health policy for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told NPR. It’s also easier for patients to ask questions, including those about personal issues such as sex, with a doctor they know. It’s also true that better patient-physician relationships can lead to better outcomes. Practices can help physicians better connect with patients by investing in communication education that provides them with more skills.
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