Some may be shocked to find that the OHIP-funded 'Physical' has been replaced by a personal health visit by a patient to our healthcare practitioner. But the research supports this change.

• You are Prediseased, by Alan Cassels on CBC IDEAS July 29 and August 5, 2009
• Know your chances: Understanding health Statistics
• Should I Be Tested for Cancer? Maybe Not and Here's Why 
• Daily Mail-  Clinical breast exams lead to many misdiagnoses ‎ - 
• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test - National Cancer Institute   18 Mar 2009 ... A fact sheet that describes the PSA screening test for prostate cancer and explains the benefits and limitations of the test.

We know how difficult it is to change, and I suspect that physicians will be the ones most peeved with this change. I have seen the changes in healthcare practices in Ontario. We have been evolving the system, based on good research. Truthfully, if you have no symptoms, it is unusual for Primary Care to find a hidden disease in an otherwise health individual, then OHIP will no longer fund this major annual physical examination. In patients with a high-risk profile, such as a smoker, the obese, the very young and the elderly, then OHIP will continue to fund the full examination.

We are moving from the one size fits all approach to one that accommodates individual determinants for healthcare practices and strategies. For those with chronic illnesses, a full examination may or may not be necessary. That said, during a visit to manage prescriptions, for example, this regular appointment can be used to take vital signs and determine baseline blood pressure, for example.

What do the smart physicians and nurse practitioners focus on?
PREVENTION: eat balanced meals, mostly plants; avoid cigarettes and alcohol; exercise; watch your weight; watch your cholesterol; watch your blood pressure; socialize; keep busy; get the proper amount of sleep.