HEALTH MATTERS
Notably, millennials are most likely to avoid these overall screenings (62%), closely followed by Gen Z (61%):
* Gen Z reports experiencing feelings of personal embarrassment and distrust or dislike of doctors (32%).
* Embarrassment and fear of bad news prevents nearly 1 in 4 young women, particularly Gen Z, from getting on-time screenings.
Advantages of check-ups and screenings
Annual checkups with a primary care physician offer several benefits. They give your provider a baseline so changes can help identify health issues early, when they're much more treatable. Wellness exams also offer opportunities to ask questions and alleviate concerns, which can be reassuring. Information from trained, experienced health care providers is more reliable and accurate than what you may find online about your concerns.
Waiting until you have a health crisis, then relying on urgent care or the emergency room, is also more costly than preventive care and timely management of health conditions. Many Americans (41%) - including Gen Z (51%) and millennials (54%) - primarily use urgent care or the emergency room for medical needs. Men (46%), African Americans (47%), Asian Americans (45%) and Hispanics (44%) are most likely to seek medical attention from urgent care or the emergency room.
Timely health screenings can ensure signs of illness - including cancer - are detected as early as possible, before you need to seek urgent care. Recent medical advances offer more effective treatments for a variety of cancers and other diseases,
but they're more successful when started as soon as possible. Finding and treating cancer and other diseases early is your best bet for improved health outcomes, and could actually save your life.
Tips to manage health screenings
If you're unsure what screenings you need, or haven't seen a doctor in years, contact your health insurer to learn what doctors or clinics near you are covered by your plan, and what screenings are covered.
You can also encourage friends and loved ones to take care of their health by offering gentle reminders, expressing your concern for their well-being. In the Wellness Matters Survey, 73% said they feel the positive benefits of a thoughtful nudge about getting preventive care, with 83% of African Americans, 79% of Hispanics, 78% of Gen Z and 77% of millennials expressing thankfulness or a sense of relief that a friend or loved one urged them to go to the doctor.
Don't wait for a health scare
Overall, the survey showed Americans know they should take a moment to schedule preventive care screenings or wellness visits, even though they delay it. For 65% of Americans, experiencing a health scare is what made them realize