To get the best medical care available today, consumers need to develop a basic health competency—and that includes overseeing your preventive care. Understanding which tests may be appropriate for you at the current time and how often you should be tested is a competency that helps you secure the best care available to you. Even more important than knowing which tests to take when, however, is the knowledge of what your major risks are and how you can prevent the diseases you are at risk of developing. You should:
Know your family health history
Know what immunizations you’ve had
Know what health problems you are at risk for
Increase your awareness of medical tests that are of value to you
Talk to and work with your health care provider to maintain your health (identify lifestyle changes you can make that will most improve your health and encourage your health care provider to discuss screening tests with you)
Review your health insurance plan and talk to your insurance provider (know what your health care plan does and does not cover and understand the processes for getting referrals and reimbursements)
You can still rely on your doctor to tell you what tests are most worthwhile for you, but do so from a base of knowledge about yourself and your health.
This article was last reviewed on September 17, 2008.
This article was last modified on April 8, 2009.
The review date indicates when the article was last reviewed from beginning to end to ensure that it reflects the most current science. A review may not require any modifications to the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
The modified date indicates that one or more changes were made to the article. Such changes may or may not result from a full review of the article, so the two dates may not always agree.
