Health screening – online or face to face?
Whichever route you choose it is important for all of us to get our health checked regularly.
Here are a few pros and cons of looking at ourselves from the inside out.
The benefits of undertaking a health assessment (or screening), whether online or in person are many fold but ultimately it should leave us with a more thorough understanding of our health and indeed any future health risks.
Benefits of screening
These assessments, which are based on current health, family medical history and our lifestyle can help with the following:
- managing or treating an existing condition
- spotting common conditions which rarely show symptoms such as high blood pressure and raised cholesterol
- discovering more life threatening conditions such as some forms of cancer which caught in the early stages have a much better outcome
- identifying how you can make changes to your lifestyle which could deliver long term better health and wellbeing, such as different ways of eating, drinking less alcohol and quitting smoking.
In a nutshell, having our health assessed gives us better control and may give us the impetus we need to improve our overall health and even prevent the onset of some health conditions.
Are there any downsides of having a health assessment?
There are a few things to consider. Firstly, you may be anxiously wondering what you may discover about your health, especially if you find out something you may not be able to control such as a hereditary condition. Or you may worry that you cannot make the changes to lifestyle that an assessment recommends.
Secondly, if an assessment shows good overall score for you then it may lead to you thinking that nothing really needs to be changed even if the assessment flags up a risk factor such as high cholesterol or being overweight.
Lastly, if you opt for an online assessment it is important to do some research into the company you choose before sending off body fluids for remote testing (or parting with any cash) as some of the checks provided may not be as accurate as they should be.
Should I go for an online health check?
If you wish to improve your health, need the convenience of not having to attend a clinic and are happy to fully embrace the changes of lifestyle an assessment may throw up then an online health assessment may be appropriate for you.
However, if you are eligible for a free NHS health check then that would indicate that you are at a stage in your life where it is recommended that you are tested for a range of conditions so your health can be managed for the long-term. If this is the case then it would be a good idea to take up the offer of the NHS assessment as the tests are proven and there would be the added benefit of someone on hand to talk you through them.
Which checks to choose
AXA PPP healthcare have further articles on Full body MOT health checks and Where can I get a full health check? which give an overview of both face-to-face and online tests available.
AXA PPP healthcare also has its own range of health assessments and plans, with discounts for existing members.
Disclaimer
All content on Silversurfers.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated at all as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Silversurfers will not be responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content on www.silversurfers.com and we are also not liable for the content of any external websites or links from or to Silversurfers to any other websites. Please always consult your own doctor if you’re in any way concerned about any aspect of your health
Melina - Assistant Editor
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