Periodic health examination: effect of costs on patient expectations

The periodic health examination accounts for many visits to primary care practitioners and is a major source of preventive care. The purpose of this study was to compare our results with results of previous studies suggesting that patients desire periodic check-ups, including extensive laboratory studies. The effect of knowledge of cost of these procedures was determined by a randomized inclusion of this information in patient questionnaires. At Bowman Gray Family Practice Center, 91% of adult patients requested periodic examinations. The laboratory studies and other procedures selected by most patients were in excess of the recommendations of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination for adequate preventive care. Patients who were told the costs of these procedures selected them less frequently than those who were not told. Knowledge of personal risks as well as the effectiveness of studies to detect or prevent disease should be assessed to promote appropriate patient expectations of preventive care.