Talk to your doctor

Prevention and early detection of disease are essential to maintaining good health as long as possible. You should take an active role in developing your own preventive health program. Be informed and conduct open discussions with your healthcare provider.

The Conversation

The typical doctor-patient visit consists of three parts.

1. Medical History
2. Physical Exam
3. Laboratory Testing

You can apply the TRANSCEND principles to “talk to your doctor” and make your healthcare experience more efficient and effective.

Medical History: Compile your personal and familial medical histories prior to your doctor’s visit. Include personal information on your diet, sleep patterns, medications and supplements and exercise program. Include family information from your parents, children and siblings. Grand parents’ histories are helpful, but not as essential.

Physical Exam: Several components can be done at home (e.g. breast self-exams and testicular self-exams) and you should get in the habit of performing these regularly. A comprehensive physician will also examine your head, lungs, heart, abdomen, spine and other body systems.

Laboratory Testing: Many tests (e.g. cholesterol, homocysteine levels) are routinely done by conventional physicians. Others (e.g. hormone levels, vitamin levels) are less routinely done, but you can request them during your visit. Still other useful testing needs to be done by complementary or holistic physicians. These include hair mineral analysis, stool microbiology, hepatic detox, and environmental pollutants.

Keeping Track

Having some of your records at one doctor’s office, some with another, others at the hospital and your self test records at home is not an optimal way to keep track of your health data. We recommend keeping track of all your test results yourself. There are online programs that can help you maintain a personal health record.

Where to go

You can guide the examination process if you do your homework, but note that most conventional physicians are not trained well in this regard. There are a few clinics and hospitals that specialize in the comprehensive approach.

The Grossman Wellness Center is Terry’s clinic in Denver, CO, where patients from all over the world participate in comprehensive wellness and executive health evaluations based on the TRANSCEND program. grossmanwellness.com

The American College for Advancement in Medicine is dedicated to educating health professionals in integrative medicine. To find a complementary physician near you, search (ACAM) website. https://www.acam.org

For more information on Finding a Practitioner.

Once you initiate this conversation and create your own personal health record, you will have an excellent foundation for preventative care.