Prevention is cheaper than treatment, helps avoid complications, and sometimes saves lives. Regular checkups with a doctor help identify risks of illness or diseases at early stages. Such checkups allow for the timely detection of gynecological, urological, cardiovascular, infectious diseases, and even cancer.
Perhaps every doctor can tell stories of patients who sought help too late. Or those who wasted a lot of time and money treating a disease that could have been prevented.
Ignoring checkups and prevention among adults is a current medical problem in Ukraine. As a result, there is delayed detection of oncopathology and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, which are the main causes of mortality in the country.
These diseases are curable at an early stage. Modern tools allow calculation mathematically of the risk of cardiovascular disease in a person during 10 years of adulthood. This is not yet treatment, and the person has the opportunity to change their lifestyle, and significantly reduce their risks without medication, says Katerina Pashkova, a therapist at "Ingo" Medical Center:
– Timely diagnosis is crucial for oncology as well. In this case, for example, colorectal cancer is curable in 90% of cases, and cervical cancer in 83% of cases. The danger is that these diseases do not cause pain and have no specific clinical symptoms for a long time..
People usually don't see doctors for no reason, but rather when they have complaints.
However, treatment during this period is often less effective. Therefore, regular preventive check-ups are essential, when nothing hurts and nothing bothers you.
The list of screening tests for adults includes minimal clinical signs that can prompt a doctor to prescribe additional tests. For example, a fecal occult blood test or a mammogram, can detect cancer at an early stage and completely cure a woman.
– We try to form a basic list of tests for each person (by age and gender). The doctor also takes into account personal details that will make the tests more accurate. For example, if a person has hereditary risks - oncology or diabetes - they may be advised to undergo additional testing to exclude these pathologies and minimize risks, explains Katerina Pashkova.
Vaccination for adults is also part of prevention.
Ukrainians forget about the need to vaccinate in adulthood. For example, adults must receive vaccinations against diphtheria and tetanus every 10 years. However, most patients are surprised to learn that there is a mandatory volume of visits and vaccinations not only for children.
Adults often neglect checkups due to low awareness, lack of time, and the belief that such examinations are expensive.
Together with the best Ukrainian doctors, we have prepared a series of episodes called "Live Healthy with Doctor TAS," which provides brief and accessible information on how to maintain good health for as long as possible.
Interestingly, people with insurance, according to doctors' observations, are more actively monitoring their health and agreeing to examinations.
Accessibility of check-ups
The doctor prescribes certain medical examinations. When a patient pays for them out of pocket, this aspect is carefully considered, especially in private clinics. When the patient is insured, spending money on these procedures becomes easier, which leads to higher-quality treatment.
In the agreement between the insurance company and the person, there is a certain volume of medical examinations included, and the person knows what to expect and can plan financially. There are clear criteria, so the patient can be confident that they received the highest quality package of services for their health condition and age.
