Role of Family Physician in Periodic Health Assessment Screening: A Review

Abstract

A family physician is considered the first line of healthcare with patients. In the public sector, a medical officer is a generalist with no postgraduate training. The periodic health assessment has its roots at least as far back as the industrial revolution, employers paid for annual medical fitness examinations and tests to assess the state of their workers with intention of keeping their workforce healthy and safe. The technique is now included into the work of primary care physicians and is still practiced across multiple countries but it may be named with a different name such as Periodic health examination (PHE). The PHE allows for the implementation of evidence-based preventative measures, the education of patients on lifestyle issues, the updating of vaccines, and, most importantly, the detection of risk factors and diagnoses by updating the patient's cumulative profile. In low-risk individuals, however, treatment may not be essential every year. There’s serious question about the value of Periodic health assessment/examination. In this article we’ll be reviewing the PHE, its value and the role of family physician in it.