Baseline guidelines of medical options
Foundational Health Series
Integrated Medical and Wellness Clinics are becoming more popular medical destinations in North America, rivaling the traditional health care model of primary care physicians and family doctors.
In addition, if you have the cash, 'medical concierge clinics' are now available in most cities in North America, meaning the medical staff provides direct access and personalized care to patients. It's common for these more upscale clinics to track your wearables and offer IV boosting services.
The Primary Care Physician / Family Doctor Model
The model that most of us grew accustomed to was doing your annual check-up at your primary care physician or family doctor. You peed in a cup, got your vitals checked, were asked if anything's bothering you, and were sent home after a 10-minute talk with the doctor. Nowadays, annual check-ups are called "wellness check-ups" and fortunately most adults will get some additional testing, like a basic blood panel.
For the rest of the year, you pay a visit only when you're sick. The vast majority of the primary care physicians and family doctor clinics don't go far enough in practicing preventive medicine.
Consider the Integrated Medical Clinic
The average integrated medical clinic's annual "wellness check-up" will likely be more comprehensive in terms of the time the medical staff (PA's or doctors) will spend with each patient. In the U.S., most health insurances will cover the wellness check-up.
The blood panel tests will usually cover a wider range of biomarkers. I've found that the medical staff are more knowledgeable about preventative medicine and longevity coaching at these integrated medical clinics. They typically offer additional medical services and proactively try to extend your testing to include as much as your insurance will approve. Some will also offer out-of-pocket services via additional tests and therapies.
Since the economics are usually similar, it's hard to argue against taking your medical business to an integrated clinic.
Foundational Health - Basic Guidelines Series:
