FAQs I'm young and healthy. I exercise regularly and eat right. Why should I participate in this program? Where are the assessment and testing done and how long do they take? Do I need a referral from my doctor? Would a full body scan be even better than TriHealth’s Executive Health Day? What happens if you find something previously undetected? How often should I come back to the TriHealth Executive Health Program?
How is this program different or better than the annual exam I already get from my own personal physician? Testing has been selected on the basis of the value of the test to you, both in identifying early indicators of disease and in identifying measures of healthfulness. The process includes a computer-interpreted health risk appraisal (HRA) to examine your current lifestyle in the realms of nutrition, exercise and healthy behavior. Some of the tests are those that really should be available to every adult in the general population on the basis of medical value, but are not recommended because of scarcity of physician specialists and/or equipment. Examples include colonoscopy, stress echocardiography and DEXA scanning. All results are available the same day tests are performed (with the exception of pathology reports if biopsies are taken and occasionally a couple of blood tests). You will receive verbal feedback on the results of your examination and recommendations for follow-up testing at the conclusion of the day directly from the examining physician. You will receive copies of preliminary results on the day of your evaluation and will receive a comprehensive report in about 10 days of your evaluation. Your personal primary care physician will receive copies of all your test results and the report letter sent to you (only with your permission). They will not only know the results of your tests, but also what you have been told about them and any recommendations you received. Finally, this program is designed to empower you to take increasing responsibility for maintaining and continuously improving your own healthfulness. It is meant to be an ongoing health management process rather than a once-a-year examination. My physician has known me for years and is a highly regarded internist. How can this program be as good as seeing my own personal physician? Our physicians are not in competition with, nor do they substitute for your personal physician. They are here to complement what your primary care physician provides. I'm young and healthy. I exercise regularly and eat right. Why should I participate in this program? Of what value is this program to my company? I don't want any of my personal health information shared with my company. Annually, your company receives group data reporting improvement in key controllable outcomes since the previous year, e.g. blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, dietary choices, and adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors. TriHealth Corporate Health Services is very aware of the importance of confidentiality in the executive health process, both for the executive and for the company, and will provide your health information to no one without your express written consent. How does this program compare to programs available nationally (e.g. the Mayo Clinic or Cleveland Clinic)? From the moment you valet park and are met at the door, your day runs smoothly due to exceptional personal attention. There is no down time, no waiting alone and wondering if you will be next for a procedure in a common waiting room. Most of our clients have experienced other programs prior to coming to us. Once with us, they stay year after year for the basic reason that we combine the highest quality health care and technology available with absolute commitment to exceptional customer service. We hear repeatedly that our clients leave the program with a renewed sense of health, a clear understanding of their personal health status, and the knowledge that they can improve their health picture. Our insurance benefit covers preventive care, so why should we pay for our executives to participate in this program? Our goal is to take a look at the whole person, which often isn't feasible in the time allotted for a typical "annual" physical. For starters, we tailor a program to each individual. We spend time with you on the phone prior to your visit discussing your family and personal history, lifestyle and medical issues. On the day of your visit, we are able to complete testing equivalent to seven or more medical appointments, all in one place, on one day. By the end of your day, you will have met with a nutrition professional, a fitness coach and a life balance coach, not to mention a physician who will spend over an hour with you reviewing your results and your personal action plan. In a nutshell, the program is an ideal way for a busy executive, or anyone to have a comprehensive , holistic picture of their health. Where are the assessment and testing done and how long do they take? Who conducts the assessment? Do I need a referral from my doctor? Would a full body scan be even better than TriHealth’s Executive Health Day? For example, a “virtual” colonoscopic examination (using CT scan) is far less sensitive (doesn’t pick up small things as well) than an actual colonoscopy. It is therefore much more likely to yield a “false negative” result –– that is, the test result shows that everything is okay and it isn’t. In addition, any abnormality found on a virtual colonoscopy must be followed up with a full colonoscopy. Based on our experience over the last 10 years, we would be doing a follow-up colonoscopy on about half of our clients –- thus, the client would undergo the prep for the procedure twice. If that same client had the full colonoscopy initially, during which abnormalities (like polyps) are directly visualized and removed at the time, he or she would have undergone the prep only once. Although we do not recommend whole body scanning for all of our clients, or for clients according to age, we certainly recommend MRI and CT scans of various areas depending on past medical history, family history, risk factors, symptoms, etc. For example, we recommend CT lung scans for smokers, abdominal CT scans looking for abdominal aortic aneurysms in clients over age 60 who ever smoked cigarettes. We also suggest other types of scans, including ultrasound, CT, or MR angiograms as indicated to follow up on previous results. In addition, we conduct many tests for clients with painful backs, knees, shoulders, and necks. Bottom line, our approach is to use testing targeted to specific concerns or diagnostic considerations. We have shown that doing so greatly increases the likelihood that abnormalities discovered in the process will be “important”, and it greatly reduces the likelihood of having to deal with “false negatives” or “false positives” –– both of which can be a real danger with whole body scanning. What happens if you find something previously undetected? How often should I come back to TriHealth? You will come back annually, but the tests and screenings will vary year to year during the life of the program. Remember, our program is a proactive and ongoing health management process rather than a once-a-year examination.
Contact TriHealth Executive Health Learn more about the TriHealth Executive Health Program. Call (513) 872-2300 or ExecutiveHealth@trihealth.com for more information.
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