While most people are aware that children should see their doctor annually for checkups and routine vaccinations, many forget that adults should also do this.

It is important for adults to have an annual physical in order to prevent disease and early detect disease.  Edward Goldman, M.D., CEO & Co-Founder, of MDVIP, Inc., a national network of physicians who practice preventive healthcare, says, “Executive-style annual exams—and there are many different types—are really the kinds of physicals that primary care physicians should be performing on all of their patients, but most just don’t have the time.”

MDVIP is a preventive healthcare model that insists on an executive style annual physical.   Once the results are in, wellness plan is devised for the patient.

According to Donald Barber, M.D., an MDVIP-affiliated primary care physician based in Los Angeles who also teaches second year medical students at U.S.C. how to perform physical examinations, "I have encountered many incidents where the examination made a significant impact on the patient’s well-being, prevented potential serious illness, and even, saved their lives.”

William Gower, M.D., affiliated with MDVIP in Atlanta, commented, “Last year alone I was able to detect usually incurable cancers in three separate patients at an early stage.  These particular cancers are usually diagnosed at an inoperable stage.  This would not have happened before I transitioned to MDVIP."

The MDVIP physicians extensive annual physicals include:

* Psychological Screening (depression index)
* Epworth Sleepiness Index (helpful in diagnosing sleep disorders)
* Pulmonary Function Testing
* Pure Tone Audiogram (determines hearing loss and severity level)
* Lifestyle assessment
* Vaccination and procedure history

Dr. Dragan Djodjevic, an MDVIP affiliated doctor who is board certified in internal medicine and is the team physician for the Chicago White Sox says:  “Patients should insist on regular conversations about adult vaccine and booster shots with their doctors, if it is not already routine.”  

The ten most important include flu shots, varicella (chicken pox), pneumonia shot, shingles vaccination, tetanus, meningitis, gardisal, MMR, hepatitis B.

* Flu shots--everyone should get one each especially if over 65, disease compromised, or very young.  There are 50-70,000 deaths due to flu each year.

* Shingles vaccine, a relatively new and expensive vaccine recommended for people 65 and older.  One in five people will get shingles especially if they have had chicken pox--it is the same virus.

*  Measles, mumps and rubella--a simple blood test can determine if people have antibodies in their system.  Adults can get these shots and should if they haven't had them because when older these diseases are more serious. 

“Unfortunately, many preventive medicine measures, such as some adult vaccine and booster inoculations, are not covered by insurance policies, so many physicians don’t include these in their routine checkups,” adds Dr. Djordjevic. 

“It is alarming to realize how many adults have not received all of the vaccine and booster shots they need,” says Dr. Djordjevic.  “This isn’t just kid stuff. Some of these diseases are deadly to adults who are not properly inoculated and can spread quickly from continent to continent, raising additional concerns if you travel.”