Understanding your annual wellness exam

Madhu Henry, MD is a primary care physician board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Henry is dedicated to the prevention of disease, focusing on diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol management and their cumulative risk on the cardiovascular system. She integrates Western and Eastern medicine to expand access to care and improve patient outcomes. She sees patients in the Inova 360 Concierge Medicine — Fairfax office.

At Inova 360° Concierge Medicine, we go beyond the recommended annual physical and annual wellness exam. Our team also addresses quality of life, identifies risks and barriers to care and provides additional testing proven to help decrease risk in specific cases for cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic medical conditions.

Our annual wellness exam begins with a nurse collecting data including your vital signs, current medications, and any issues or concerns you would like to discuss with your physician. We often offer prescreening questionnaires that include mood surveys, cognitive testing and screening for sleep disruptions. When you meet with your physician, we divide our time as follows:

1. Collecting historical information.
2. Conducting a thorough physical exam.
3. Addressing and reviewing results obtained during the physical including lab tests or other tests we deem appropriate, like InBody testing, an EKG, or hearing and vision tests.

Collecting historical information

This time provides an opportunity for you and your physician to develop rapport in which to discuss and prioritize your healthcare needs and desires. Our physicians are interested in learning about your:

• Sleep habits
• Exercise
• Diet and life stressors

We’ll review your past medical, surgical and social history and develop a relationship where we collaborate on achieving your best health outcomes.

Conducting a thorough physical exam

The physical exam is designed to address questions raised during the review of your medical and personal history. During the physical exam, patients can expect to have a thorough physical check, as well as a focus on acute medical issues that may be identified when examining the body. This often prompts questions that were not thought of before.

• During your exam, a nurse may conduct a hearing test and visual screening. If appropriate, an EKG may also be conducted. These tests are not standard in a traditional annual wellness or annual physical exam; however the Inova 360° Concierge Medicine believes they offered a better focus and a more thorough examination.
• An InBody screening is also a standard part of our exams, enabling us to assess the physical composition of the body and determine whether the distribution between water, lean body mass, skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass is where it should be. The results of this screening guide us to provide concrete steps for patients who need to change their body composition. For example, patients who need to build muscle may be advised to engage in weight-bearing activities or increase the protein in their diet. Conversely, the results may prompt physicians to recommend increasing cardiovascular exercise for those needing to decrease body fat mass and improve cardiovascular health.

Discussing results

This portion of the exam provides an opportunity to review the results of the tests previously mentioned along with any other data we’ve collected. We’ll identify areas of risk or concern, and offer specific guidance and preventive measures including medications or lifestyle changes. This is also a good time to develop a personalized plan of care, including:

• Specific medical advice for identified risks and an actionable screening schedule for the next 5-10 years.
  • Advance care planning for patients interested in addressing the care they want to receive in the event of a medical crisis.

Our Inova 360° Concierge Medicine annual wellness exam is a comprehensive appointment that creates a collaborative environment between the physician and patient, thoroughly examining health and addressing wellness from multiple dimensions. We strongly encourage you to reach out and schedule your annual physical so you can begin building a relationship with your physician and achieve your best health.