How many times have you cancelled a doctor’s appointment because of work? I can personally say that I have rescheduled or cancelled about five doctor appointments in the last six months. For many people, especially those of us in the millennial generation, this is not uncommon. According to a study, 41% of Millennials would cancel a doctor’s appointment because they are too busy. Why go in to the doctor when you can just research your symptoms?
While it may be a more convenient to sit in bed and self diagnose, it’s not exactly the best option for your health. Making time for the doctor is hard, but it’s worth it. People who visit the doctor for regular checkups are less likely to be diagnosed with preventable chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and proper nutrition can help you avoid seeing the doctor frequently for different illnesses. But, there are other reasons why it’s a good idea to see your doctor at least once a year. Here are a few to consider:
- Avoid preventable diseases – Your primary care physician preforms many routine checks and tests to catch anything out of the norm before its too late. It’s also their job to gather information about your lifestyle to make sure that you’re maintaining healthy habits. Asking questions and educating you about weight management, alcohol abuse, stress & anxiety, and tobacco use can prevent issues later in life.
- Build your medical records – Creating a base line to monitor your health from will be extremely valuable for you over time. If an emergency comes up, your medical records can be used to rule out any existing conditions and any changes to your health can be a sign that something is up.
- Maintaining a trusted relationship – Building and maintaining a trusted doctor patient relationship is extremely important so that the doctor knows your specific wants and needs in your healthcare. Having a relationship with your doctor will also make it easier to talk about hard or uncomfortable issues you may be having.
- Get your appointment faster – When you become an established patient, the doctor will often make time to squeeze you in, and may even be willing to treat or diagnose small issues over the phone or email. This is great news for us Millennials who hate leaving work to go to the doctor.
While it might be a pain to schedule an appointment with your doctor now, it will definitely make a difference in the long run. With Everseat, you never have to worry about the hassle of booking an appointment over the phone. All you have to do is show up once a year.