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Learn Which Medical Tests You Need--And When

Posted 8/5/2010

One of the best ways men can be sure to be there for their families is to take care of their health.

(NAPSI) - Many men might be able to save their own lives--and be there for their family--if they just took one simple step: finding out which preventive medical tests are recommended for men their age. According to data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited the doctor within the past year.

In an effort to raise awareness among middle-age men about the importance of preventive medical testing, AHRQ joined with the Ad Council to launch a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) that encourage men 40 and over to learn which preventive screening tests they need to get and when they need to get them.

This campaign complements AHRQ's existing efforts to improve the safety and quality of health care and promote patients' involvement in their own health care.

Doctors' Advice

"Our new data indicate that men aren't visiting their physicians as often as they probably should be," said AHRQ director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., who is a general internist. "We hope these new ads will motivate men to visit their physicians and learn about which preventive medical tests they need and when they need to get them."

Campaign spokesman Mehmet Oz, M.D., a heart surgeon who hosts the syndicated series "The Dr. Oz Show," noted that he sees many of his patients for the first time after they've had a heart attack. "Part of our responsibility as fathers and husbands is keeping ourselves healthy, and it should be a family effort to gently nudge all men to map out steps to do the right thing."

The campaign highlights the work of the AHRQ-sponsored U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention that systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for appropriate clinical preventive services screenings based on patient risk factors.

Created pro bono for the Ad Council by Grey New York, the ads show men they need to take care of themselves (and their health) in order to be there for their families now and in the future.

See For Yourself

To view the PSAs, visit www.ahrq.gov/healthymen. The site also provides recommended ages for preventive testing (as well as a list of tests), a quiz designed to test your knowledge of preventive health care, tips for talking with your doctor, a glossary of consumer health terms, and links to online resources where you can find additional medical information.

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