Every new relationship with a patient starts with a Comprehensive Health Assessment—the foundation that will drive your treatment plan. This takes place during your initial appointment. Through our conversations and a physical exam, I go through your medical history to gain a clear, detailed understanding of your concerns. A large portion of this assessment is educational; I want you to understand what’s happening in your body and why. My goal is to help you feel informed and empowered about the ways that we will work together to improve your health and well-being; this includes being transparent about the cost of further treatment, what a realistic results timeline looks like, and alternative options available.
What to expect
Your Comprehensive Health Assessment takes 90 minutes to complete. I need to get the full picture – I look not just at the symptoms that bring you to my office, but any elements of your health and lifestyle which may be aggravators or barriers to healing. It’s from here that I can come up with the best plan for you. Your assessment starts with a simple conversation. I want to get to know you and, in my experience, these initial conversations are just as important as the physical examinations. Getting to know you as best I can helps me understand the factors surrounding your health concerns. I want to know how your work affects your life, what activities bring you joy, and what causes you stress. These are the conversations that give me an understanding of who you are in the context of your life. Reflecting on internal health factors and these external stressors helps me determine how they’re connected so that we can really get to the root of the problem.
When you come in for your assessment, expect to discuss details of your health history, lifestyle, mood and energy levels—and your medical concerns. We’ll go over your diet, intake of alcohol, caffeine and water, as well as your overall level of fitness. We’ll also take a look at the social aspects of your life, including home and work life, to find any stressors which might contribute to your overall health concerns. To complete the profile, we’ll talk about your family’s medical history, any genetic predispositions and conduct a thorough review of all your current medications in order to prevent any interactions.
After this initial conversation, we’ll begin the concern-oriented physical examination. Different than the typical exam you may be used to receiving from your GP, we have the luxury of time and we can go at your own pace; taking into consideration your needs and comfort. Depending on your concerns, if the appointment is an “in-person appointment” I may need to do a focused physical exam. During the exam, you can expect a full review of your cardiovascular and digestive health. This may include, among other things, monitoring your blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, assessing the abdomen, respiratory function, reflexes and gynaecological health—including pap smears and cultures. Finally, if you haven’t recently done blood work, I may ask that you complete routine or specialized lab tests.
What a Comprehensive Health Assessment covers:
- Thorough overview of your health concerns
- Comprehensive medical history
- Review of systems
- Overview of current medications, herbs, supplements
- Nutritional and dietary assessment
- Focused physical exam (PLEASE NOTE – This cannot be done if the appointment is a virtual appointment).
- Advanced laboratory and diagnostic screening tests
After we’ve completed the Comprehensive Health Assessment, I can effectively develop an appropriate individualized treatment plan to get you on the path to living a healthy and happy life.
Your treatment plan will include an overview of our goals, specific dietary and lifestyle recommendations, additional support in the form of nutritional supplementation and/or herbal preparations, a timeline of expected results, next steps (testing to be completed) and a follow-up schedule.
