Health Care Professionals: what screening do you do to monitor your health?

[Crampulet]

Hello, I am interested in knowing what Health Care Professionals do themselves for their own health screening? Is it regular blood tests, ultrasounds, whole body mri, or something different? I am wondering what my best option is for screening at early 40s. Mammography doesn't start until 50, no lung screening seems to be offered as far as I know, gynecology is only smear which regularly goes unsuccessful at my GP anyway. I would like to consider private screening either in UK or abroad, but don't know what my best options are. Obviously budget will limit the choice as well, but don't know what is best worth. Thank you very much!

@Xiexie
"Most tests are designed to look for something specific and results need to be matched with clinical symptoms so whole body scanning for screening generally isn’t helpful."

This is such a useful viewpoint, thank you! In my mind Infeel like if I save up for a whole body mri, it will tell me everything, but look like that is a very naive thought.

Blood pressure about every 3 months, also resting heart rate, weight probably once every month on average. Just had my cholesterol checked- I am 47.

Snap. I work into cancer and work on the premise that not smoking, not drinking alcohol, exercising, and keeping a mostly decent diet is my part, and the rest is in the lap of the Gods. Too many things in life to worry about without going looking for trouble!

NHS doesn’t provide more screenings for staff. There’s minimal support type things that vary from trust to trust. Like I can get
physio advice and treatment for example.

But I still use my GP and would be put on a list for general treatment/scans etc with everyone else.

Physically I try and take care of my health with nutrition and exercise and doing less of the shit that’s not good for me. If I feel I need to I would see my GP

This.

I got a recent over 5O mammogram, get my three yearly smears and am currently (avoiding)..been offered the over 50 health check by my gp. Other than that I monitor my Bp at home.

I did get one of our gp"s to look at a mole for me once though for an opinion.

Results need to be interpreted in the context of symptoms.

Testing people who are symptom free should only be done if recommended by NICE. This is what national screening programs such as mammograms, smears, bowel screening are for.

If you are worried about symptoms or family history see your GP. If tests are needed they can refer you.

Personally I wouldn't pay for any extra screening but would spend that money on healthier food and exercise!

OK I've remembered that I did pay (a lot) to get my son the HPV vaccination when he was 11, before the NHS provided it for boys. That was probably because I was working in a head and neck cancer team, and the top surgeon said he was getting his sons vaccinated. Still happy I did that.

Children a whole other ball game, isn't it. In some other countries primary care is also children specific and I feel that is very much lacking in the UK. Do you feel satisfied with your GPs approach when it comes to children? Often I feel like it is very superficial, but maybe I just don't see what is underneath.

In general I feel the NHS model is based on very highly trained specialists in primary care (GPs) having the first look and doing the gatekeeping, and that works [place political rant about lack of support or understanding for that model here.] All GPs do have training in paediatrics.

You cam list umpty issues people have had with that model, because the fact is that all heakthcare models are based on humans, who make mistakes that machines don't, but also do things and spot things that machines don't.

Might be a few GPs on this thread (myself included) who take exception to that!
Children are generally healthy with self limiting problems. I don’t think a paediatrician needs to see every child with an URTI. We will refer on if needed.

That is interesting, thank you! I didn't mean to cause any offence, apologies. During the years I have learnt which GPs at our practice I prefer when booking for my children, although obviously there isn't always choice. It is maybe not expertise where I have found it dissatisfactory, more the attitude towards child (and sometimes parent). But many GPs at the practice I very happily see.

I was listening to the feel better live more podcast yesterday and the host and another doctor were recommending getting annual blood pressure, cholesterol/lipid profile and HBA1c to keep an eye out on the early signs of metabolic syndrome. I've not had my blood cholesterol done for a while so should probably get that checked. Though I am already a healthy weight and exceeding the exercise recommendations so I am not sure what additional lifestyle changes I could make - there are some things that just make sense to do for long term health regardless of test results.

As much as that sounds like gold standard healthcare, the problem is, annual checks for all are not funded and would topple an already crippled health service.

I am a hospital Dr.
Screening has a false positive rate
If the pre test probability of you being ill is low then screening is more likely to pick up non issues and increase anxiety
A lot of people get very worried about things like liver cysts or lung nodules that are not pathological and they would have been better off not knowing about.

Also it's only worthwhile to screen for stuff that can be treated. If I have a high risk of dementia I'd rather not know as it will not help me.

I participate in national screening programs when offered eg cervical screening but I don't do anything extra on top. I just go to my GP if I am concerned which so far is very rare. Same with my husband and kids.

Yes I invest my time and effort in preventative things that are proven to be good for health rather than screening ie I don't smoke, eat and healthy diet with lots of fruit and veg and take regular exercise. I could do with drinking less alcohol or even none but hey I'm not a saint.

I'm a nurse of 20 years, I avoid going to the Dr and only go if I have absolutely have to!

Why on Earth would you go looking for problems?!

No HCPs don’t get any extra screening, have bloods etc when we start our jobs and hepatitis B and flu boosters but no nothing in way of screening for our health. Any extra screening offered would just be in relation to protecting patients but not for our benefit

Not a medical professional but I am quite shocked by some of these responses.
Screening and prevention surely are not 'looking for problems', but one of the reasons we now live longer and in good health. If we pick up problems earlier we are more likely to tackle them and not to let them kill us. We are not talking about being hypochondriac here, of course there must be some common sense.
Every year I have a full MOT including blood pressure, full blood work, lung test, fitness test and I get a private GP to look at the results. I am considering paying for a private mammogram/breast scan and mole mapping as I have family history.

I’m surprised you think we have special access to additional screening tests. We don’t even get tea and coffee 😅

The only thing we do have, I guess, it’s access to informal chats with highly experienced/knowledgeable people. Personally I’ve still had to access private care for both my dc.

In regards to what I do, rather than screening I ensure I go to the gym (resistance training), eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep.

@user1471523870 Yes, I also find it strange that screening would be seen as looking for problem unnecessarily. Isn't early detection a key factor is likely clinical outcome?

@WreckTangled When I said access to more option I meant the kind of thing a previous person said that they were able to do an ecg on their child because they had access to the equipment. E.g. if I had access to an ultrasound machine I imagine I would be interested in a regular abdominal scan or breast scan. US being low risk, is it worth paying for one every so often privately, so problems are detected earlier than one would approach a GP with?

And me 😀

Ah ok, I wouldn’t do anything like that, the most I would do is my own urine dip if I thought I had a UTI 😁

I'm not an HCP, but other than the regular NHS checks like mammograms, smears, and recently the poo test, I pay privately for a mole screen every couple of years, but I have a lot of moles, and we have skin cancer in the family, so that's worth doing for me, and having the odd one removed if necessary seems a good preventative measure.

I'm in the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' camp. (Not a medic though).

My sister always irritates me, saying that "it's better than the alternative." She doesn't seem to see that it's not a straight choice between doing the tests or getting cancer.

There are many false negatives and false positives, and then the stress of waiting for results. Stress is particularly bad for you so I avoid it if I can.

Also the fact that many cancerous cells will not develop into full blown cancer anyway, but resolve themselves. So you risk all that hassle for no reason.

Nothing at all. There's worse things than dying in the world.