The wellness program I developed, which I call HealthTrends, incorporates an HRA and computer-generated patient education materials with the results of the medical history, physical exam and laboratory tests. This program helps keep most of my patients well and out of the hospital. How it works I invite all my new patients to participate in HealthTrends, but it's not an easy sell. Many haven't had a physical for years, and none has participated in a program like this. I explain that although the physical is labor-intensive and will require the patient to complete lengthy questionnaires, the process will give back much more in return.
Most patients decide to enter the program.
The HRA is the backbone of the program. Based on the patient's responses, the HRA quantifies his or her 10-year mortality risk by age, race and sex. The HealthTrends physical consists of a traditional medical history and exam, and I also inquire about the patient's health concerns, diet, exercise habits and life stressors. We schedule a follow-up visit for two weeks later, which gives us time to produce an analysis of the results. At the follow-up visit, I use the results of the HRA, the physical exam and other resources to produce a personalized HealthTrends report.