42135 10th St W Ste 201
Lancaster, CA 93534-6093
(661) 341-3800
Mon-Fri: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Sat: 8:00 am - 5: 00 pm
An Annual Wellness Visit, or AWV, is an appointment you have each year with your primary care provider. The purpose of this appointment is to set up and maintain a personalized prevention plan that takes into account things like your current health and other risk factors.
Family First Medical Practice offers these exams to ensure that your health is well-monitored so you can avoid problematic conditions and adjust your lifestyle as needed.
During your annual wellness visit, your primary care physician at Family First will take several routine measurements and give you a health risk assessment. These measurements include checking your height and blood pressure, as well as a questionnaire about your health status, risk of injury, and other urgent health needs.
We will also perform some tests to determine your functional ability and level of safety. This can include screening for hearing impairments, your risk of falling and ensuring that you are able to perform daily living activities such as dressing and bathing. This will give the doctor an idea of your overall level of safety at home.
The AMV also includes additional screenings that will measure cognitive impairment and risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s, chronic depression, chronic anxiety, and other types of dementia. Although Medicare does not explicitly require that doctors test to do this, they are required to use their observations and reports from others to make a determination.
During this exam, we will inquire about your medical and family history. We will then make a list of your current providers, medications, and durable medical equipment suppliers to ensure their records are accurate. This will also give them insight into what medicines you currently take in addition to vitamins and supplements.
Based on all the information that was gathered from the steps above, Family First will then create a written 5-10-year checklist that will include a screening schedule. This will be based on your current health status, medical history, professional medical exams and Medicare-covered preventative services. We will also make referrals to health educators and other service providers to reduce the risk factors identified and promote wellness.