Types of Yearly Wellness Checkups

Types of Yearly Wellness Checkups Everyone Should Get

If you're young or usually healthy, you may think you only need to visit your primary care physician (PCP) when you're sick, but that’s not the case.

Annual wellness visits and routine checkups can help you stay healthy throughout the year and as you age. During these important annual visits, your PCP will check for early signs of chronic conditions before they become serious, and can administer health screenings and immunizations to keep you feeling well.

There are different types of preventive care visits — the right one for you will depend on your age, gender and current health. Let's break down what each of these different wellness checkups looks like.

Priority Preventive Care Appointments

There are several types of yearly health care visits. It’s important to understand which types of health screenings and appointments you need to schedule each year to help your PCP care for your health over time.

1. Annual Wellness Visit

Your annual wellness visit allows you to meet with your PCP to update them on how your health has been over the last year, and to make a plan for keeping you healthy in the coming year.

What to expect during your annual wellness visit:

• Conversation on how your health has been over the last year
• Discussion about your current lifestyle and health risk assessment
• Opportunity to update your medical history and family history
• Medication management and review
• Update or create a health prevention plan
• Schedule a physical, lab work or screenings

Who Needs It: Everyone! Many health insurance carriers, including Medicare, cover annual wellness visits for all ages.

2. Annual Physical Exam

An annual physical exam, sometimes also known as a routine or annual checkup, is a hands-on physical exam. Your PCP will check your vitals, as well as other areas of your body, to check for any potential issues. They will also discuss your health since your last visit, including any lifestyle changes you should be aware of, and provide you with prescriptions for any necessary medications.

What to expect during an annual physical exam:

• Check of vital signs, including heart rate and blood pressure
• Discussion regarding your lifestyle choices and potential health risk factors
• Orders for health screenings, like a colonoscopy or mammogram
• Physical examination
• Possible blood work or urinalysis
• Referrals to specialists for specialized care and follow-up
• Review of your medical history
• Vaccinations as needed
• Weight and height check

Who Needs It: Everyone, regardless of age, to establish a health baseline and potentially pick up on early signs of health issues.

3. Well-Woman Visit

A well-woman visit is an annual health checkup that focuses on reproductive and gynecologic health. Most women require both a well-woman exam for their gynecological care and an annual physical exam that assesses their overall health.

What to expect during a well-woman visit:

• Abdominal check
• Birth control counseling
• Breast exam
• Check of vitals, including heart rate and blood pressure
• Discussion about your current lifestyle choices and potential health risk factors
• HPV test (as recommended)
• Medical history evaluation
• Medication review
• Menstrual cycle support
• Pelvic exam
• Possible blood work or urinalysis
• Pregnancy planning
• Pre-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause care
• Referral to an OB/GYN as needed for additional health screenings for women
• Testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI), as needed

Who Needs It: Well-woman visits are recommended for all women with reproductive organs. Many PCPs suggest that teens begin these checkups between ages 13 and 15, helping establish a foundation for long-term health and wellness.

4. Men’s Health Checkup

Just like a well-woman visit is for women, a routine checkup for men focuses on men's health concerns, such as prostate health. As men have a higher risk than women for colorectal cancer, your doctor will talk to you about colonoscopies and other health screenings for men. A man's health checkup also emphasizes heart health, as men are more likely to have heart concerns like high blood pressure than women.

What to expect during a men's health checkup:

• Check of vitals, including heart rate and blood pressure
• Discussion about your current lifestyle choices and potential health risk factors
• Hands-on physical exam
• Heart health review
• Medical history evaluation
• Medication review
• Order for colonoscopy (starting around age 45)
• Possible blood work or urinalysis
• Prostate discussion and cancer screening (age and risk-based)
• Skin exam
• STI testing as needed
• Testicular exam
• Vaccinations as needed
• Weight and height check

Who Needs It: Men of all ages should schedule regular health checkups, starting around age 20, to stay on top of their health and prevent problems before they start.

5. Pediatric and Adolescent Annual Checkups

Babies, adolescents and teens under 18 have unique needs, which is why their annual wellness checkup is tailored to their growth and development, as well as preventive care, such as vaccinations at specific ages. Pediatric and adolescent yearly checkups are usually performed by your family PCP or a pediatrician.

Many school districts, colleges and universities require kids and teens to have an annual exam every year to make sure their vaccinations are current and that they’re healthy enough to play a school sport, if they’re on a team.

What to expect during a pediatric and adolescent annual checkup:

• Assessment of the lungs and heart using a stethoscope
• Behavioral health screening
• Check of joints, spine and reflexes
• Complete physical exam of eyes, ears, nose and throat
• Counseling on healthy lifestyle choices, child safety and sleep health
• Developmental milestones
• Discussion about sexual development for teens
• Growth charts to monitor height and weight
• Medical history evaluation
• Medication review
• Possible blood work or urinalysis
• Testing of vitals, including heart rate and blood pressure
• Vaccinations (based on age)

Who Needs It: Routine checkups are recommended for babies, children and teens under 18 to monitor growth, development and overall health.

6. Specialized Annual Visits (As Recommended)

In addition to your annual preventive visit and exams with your PCP, routine checkups with dentists, optometrists and dermatologists play an important role in your overall health. Your primary care provider can help coordinate care, track changes over time and ensure these specialized screenings fit into a comprehensive approach to wellness for both children and adults.

• Eye Exam: Especially important for school-aged children to ensure they can read and see clearly in class, as well as for people with diabetes, older adults or those with vision concerns. An eye doctor can provide you with prescription glasses or contacts, as well as treat eye diseases.
• Dental Exam: Young children should visit the dentist for their first exam within six months of their first teeth coming in. After that, children, teens and adults should visit their dentist every six to 12 months for a dental exam and cleaning.
• Dermatology Skin Check: Your PCP may refer you to a dermatologist if they notice any suspicious spots on your skin and if you are at high risk of skin cancer.

Yearly Preventive Tests and Screenings

Whether you're having an annual physical exam, wellness exam, well-woman visit, men's wellness checkup or an annual checkup for kids or teens, there are several important health screenings that you also may need to have every year.

The good news is that many of these screenings can be administered or ordered by your PCP during your annual visit.

• Blood Work: This provides your PCP with information on your general health, including complete blood count (CBC) and electrolytes, and can also check your blood for cholesterol, blood sugar and thyroid hormone levels. Annual blood work can also be used to identify specific biomarkers associated with certain cancers or infections.
• Blood Pressure Check: Normally done at every primary care visit — your nurse or doctor will wrap a sphygmomanometer around your arm to measure your blood pressure.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) and Weight Assessment: You are usually asked to step on a scale that is used to both check your weight and measure your height at any PCP visit.
• Cancer Screenings: Depending on your age and gender, your PCP may order certain health screenings for cancers, such as cervical, breast and colorectal cancers. While these are covered at a specialist’s office, your PCP can provide you with a referral.
• Immunizations: Babies and kids need several vaccinations to help protect them from serious diseases as they grow, such as MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), hepatitis and polio. Preteens and teens may receive immunizations against HPV and meningococcal disease, as well as an annual flu shot. Adults 18 and over also need to get an annual flu shot, as well as COVID-19 boosters and the HPV vaccine, as well as the pneumonia and shingles vaccines starting at age 50.

Exams Your Primary Care Provider Can Handle

While the number of appointments may seem daunting, many of these can be dealt with as part of your provider’s comprehensive primary care services.

Your PCP can handle:

• Basic reproductive health exams (e.g., pelvic exams, testicular exams, breast exams)
• Blood pressure checks and heart rate monitoring
• Bloodwork and lab tests (e.g., cholesterol, blood sugar, thyroid, kidney, liver function)
• Body mass index (BMI) and weight management assessments
• Physical exams for children, adolescents, adults and seniors
• Preventive screenings for diabetes, high cholesterol, anemia and other chronic conditions
• Referrals for additional specialized tests or screenings, if needed
• Routine vaccinations (flu, COVID-19, Tdap, MMR, depending on availability)
• Skin and dermatology checks for moles or other skin concerns
• Vision and hearing screenings (basic in-office checks)

Invest in Your Health With an Annual Wellness Visit

Making the time for annual wellness visits and physical exams is the best way to keep you healthy for many years to come. As the first step, we encourage you to schedule a visit with your AdventHealth Primary Care+ provider. They can guide you every step of the way to the convenient preventive care appointments you need for whole-person care.

Schedule your next wellness checkup with a board-certified AdventHealth Primary Care+ provider today. Find a Primary Care+ provider near you.