Cleveland Clinic has developed a "notification system" in
your electronic chart to inform you and your physician that you may be due for
certain health maintenance screening tests. (A list of recommended screening
tests is shown below.)
The right plan for your care may differ based on your personal
preferences, medical history, family history, lifestyle, and your physician’s
experience. You and your physician should work together to develop the specific
preventive screening plan for you. In addition, these are generally MINIMUM
recommendations, are not all-inclusive, and are based on current evidence and
national recommendations (see reference links below).
Please also note that Medicare or your health insurance plan may
not cover some of the following tests and vaccinations. You should check on your
specific coverage before obtaining them.
Keep in mind that there is a chance that you may have received
an "overdue" message in error due to one of the following reasons:
- Information in your paper chart may not as yet been transferred to the
electronic medical record.
- The suggested screening test may not be appropriate for you based on
your current medical conditions.
- Current guidelines may have changed and the changes have not yet been
modified by the team of physicians in charge of these recommendations at the
Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
If you have received an overdue alert, you may wish to do one of the following:
- discuss this with your physician at your next regular office visit
- schedule a comprehensive office evaluation
- call the office for clarification
The electronic medical record is currently set to generate health alerts for adults based on the following criteria:
| Screening Test
|
Recommendation
|
| Cholesterol screening (including LDL), (for women and men) |
Begin at age 20, if normal, repeat every 5 years |
| Blood glucose (sugar) for diabetes (for women and men) |
Start at age 45, then every 3 years |
| Colorectal cancer screening (for women and men) |
Start at age 50, then repeat based on findings |
| Mammograms (for women) |
Mammograms yearly starting at age 40 |
| Pap test (cervical cancer screen) (for women) |
Yearly between age 21-30; every 3 years for age 31 and
older (computer alert ends at age 65) |
| Bone mineral density (osteoporosis screen)(for women) |
Measure in all at age 65 and older and in postmenopausal
women with additional risk factors |
| Prostate cancer screening (for men) |
Once after age 50 |
| Influenza vaccination (Flu shot) (for women and men) |
Start at age 50, then every year sometime between October and January |
| Pneumococcal vaccination (for women and men)
|
Once after age 65 |
| Tetanus and Diphtheria vaccination (for women and men) |
Start at age 11, then every 10 years |
For diabetic patients
- HBA1C at least every 6 months
- Urine microalbumin yearly
- Lipid (cholesterol) at least every year
- Dilated eye exam (ophthalmology appt) at least every year
- Foot exam at least every 12 months
- Pneumovax (one-time vaccination)
- Annual seasonal flu vaccine
Reference for health maintenance guidelines:
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 3/25/2009...index#11834