Preventive care plays a vital role in preserving the health and well-being of Canadians. This in-depth guide will explore preventive care, why it matters, what’s covered across Canada, and how you can be proactive about your health.

What is Preventive Care?

Preventive care consists of healthcare services focused on deterring health issues before they arise instead of diagnosing or treating existing conditions. It aims to identify potential health risks early on, often before symptoms even manifest. This allows any problems to be addressed promptly with proactive care when they are most treatable.

Preventive care also encompasses our daily choices and healthy habits to maintain long-term wellness and vitality. It puts health promotion at the forefront instead of just reacting to sickness.

Some examples of preventive care include:

• Routine health screenings and annual physical exams
• Lab tests that check biomarkers like cholesterol
• Immunizations like flu shots
• Cancer screenings (e.g. mammograms, colonoscopies)
• Regular dental cleanings and exams
• Mental health assessments
• Health education and lifestyle counseling
• Childhood development assessments

These types of precautionary health services allow issues to be detected early, when outcomes are typically better. When embraced as an ongoing lifestyle approach, preventive care also fosters improved lifelong wellness.

Read more: Wellness Spending Accounts in Canada

Why is Preventive Care So Important for Canadians?

Preventive care describes healthcare services aimed at preventing illnesses or medical issues before they arise or progress. Also known as proactive care, preventive health services allow for early detection of conditions when they are most treatable. Problems can then be addressed promptly instead of allowing them to advance unchecked.

The benefits of preventive care include:

• Early Detection of Issues: Screenings and tests can identify problems in their initial stages, when they are most treatable, improving outcomes.
• Proactive Treatment: Doctors can provide care and treatment right away before conditions worsen. This prevents complications.
• Improved Long-Term Health: Preventive care improves lifelong wellness and vitality when incorporated as an ongoing lifestyle.
• Reduced Healthcare Costs: Preventing illnesses costs less than treating them after they develop. This saves the healthcare system money.
• Patient Empowerment: Preventive care puts patients in charge of their health instead of just reacting to problems.

Clearly, preventive care provides major advantages for both the individual and the healthcare system as a whole. It represents a prudent approach to fostering robust public health.

Overview of Key Preventive Care Services in Canada

Let’s explore the primary types of preventive care services available in Canada and who they are most appropriate for:

Routine Health Exams & Wellness Visits

Also known as general physicals or annual medical checkups, these preventive visits assess your overall health and well-being. They allow health professionals to evaluate your risk factors and reassure you or catch problems early on. Recommended schedules for checkups are:

Visit Type	Details	Frequency
Well Child Visits	Assess growth & development; provide immunizations	Frequent visits up to age 2, then annual.
Adult Physicals	Assess overall health, lifestyle risks, and vitals	Annual exams starting at age 18-40
Senior Checkups	Review medications, screen for dementia, assess fall risk	Annual exams, twice yearly if complex health.

These routine wellness visits are fundamental to maintaining health. Commit to being proactive about scheduling checkups.

Screening Tests

Screening tests check for potential health issues, often without any symptoms present. Some common preventive screens include:

Screening Purpose	Test	Frequency
Cancer	Mammograms, colonoscopy, Pap test, PSA test	Per guidelines for age and gender
Heart Disease	Cholesterol, blood pressure	Cholesterol every 5 years; BP at every visit
Diabetes	Blood glucose test	If overweight starting at age 40
Infectious Disease	STI tests, TB skin test	When at elevated risk

Other routine screens include bone density tests for women over age 65 and lung function tests for those with a smoking history. Discuss appropriate screens with your doctor based on age, gender, and risk profile.

Vaccinations

Immunizations are lauded as one of the most outstanding public health achievements for suppressing infectious diseases. They prepare your immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria before exposure. Recommended vaccinations include:

Type	Examples	Frequency
Childhood	Measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio, hepatitis	Per provincial schedule
Adult	Flu shot, tetanus, diphtheria, shingles	Annual flu shot, tetanus every 10 years
Travel	Hepatitis A and B, typhoid, yellow fever	Before travel as indicated

Immunizations are safe and effective and minimize your risk of contracting preventable diseases. Yet adult vaccination rates lag in Canada, resulting in tens of thousands of hospitalizations annually. Follow provincial guidelines and get recommended vaccines.

Lifestyle Counseling & Education

Counselling and health education aim to equip patients with the knowledge to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and behaviours. Counselling can address:

• Nutrition: Review dietary patterns and provide guidance on healthy eating, meal planning and achieving/maintaining a healthy weight.
• Physical Fitness: Discuss appropriate exercise regimens and activity levels based on your age, risk factors and mobility status.
• Sleep Hygiene: Share tips for getting sufficient quality sleep and maintaining healthy sleep cycles.
• Stress Management: Teach stress relief techniques, coping mechanisms, and addressing what triggers your stress.
• Tobacco/Substance Cessation: Offer resources and programs to help quit smoking, alcohol or substance abuse.
• Reproductive Health: Discuss contraception options, safe sex practices, and preconception planning.

Lifestyle changes can then target any risks identified during your wellness visit. Counselling aims to empower patients with knowledge and skills to optimize health.

Mental Health Screenings

Given that 1 in 5 Canadians experience mental illness annually, routine mental health assessments allow early intervention (Source). Screenings include:

• Depression: PHQ-2 or PHQ-9 questionnaire to screen for depression. Given to adolescents, adults, postpartum women and seniors.
• Anxiety: The GAD-7 questionnaire screens for generalized anxiety.
• Drug/Alcohol Abuse: Screening tools like AUDIT assess for substance abuse.
• Postpartum Depression: Edinburgh scale screens new mothers around 2-6 weeks post-birth.
• Dementia: Memory and cognitive assessments in seniors assess for possible dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Teen Suicide Risk: Questionnaires like PHQ-9 and Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) evaluate risk among adolescents.

Based on screening results, follow-up care will be arranged as appropriate. Don’t overlook the importance of preventive mental health services.

Public and Private Coverage for Preventive Care

Provincial and territorial health plans cover basic preventive services like annual physical exams and cancer screenings. Flu shots are also fully covered. Your province may have additional preventive coverage, such as breast cancer or diabetes screening programs. Always confirm specifics with your provincial health department.

Canadians can enroll in private health services plans for more comprehensive preventive care coverage. These plans help pay for care not fully covered under government healthcare, such as mental health services, alternative therapies, dental, vision, prescription drugs, and more.

When choosing a private insurer like Manulife, be sure to select an extensive plan that includes robust preventive care. Also, use in-network providers whenever possible to maximize coverage.

Preventive Care Use Among Canadians

While preventive care is crucial to well-being, statistics show utilization lags behind national targets. For example:

• 88% of Canadians age 12+ report having a regular health care provider, which is fundamental for longitudinal preventive care. (Source)
• In 2018, only 30% of adults had any visit with a primary care provider, far short of recommended annual physicals. Specifically, 24% had one visit with their primary provider that year, while 23% had two visits, and 22% had three or more visits. Utilization could have been higher among men, younger adults, and lower-income Canadians. (Source)
• Influenza vaccination coverage increased from 39% in 2021-2022 to 43% in 2022-2023, bringing it back to the pre-pandemic level.
• Influenza vaccination coverage was higher in females at 47% compared to males at 39%. For adults aged 18-64 years with chronic medical conditions, only 43% were vaccinated against influenza. There remains room for improvement in adult immunization uptake in Canada, particularly among males and those with high-risk conditions. (Source)

Clearly, substantial room for improvement exists in Canada regarding preventive care engagement.

Barriers to Preventive Care

Access challenges and knowledge gaps deter some Canadians from preventive services. Key barriers include:

• Cost Deterrents: With limited public coverage, recommended preventive care can have high out-of-pocket costs if privately insured. Deductibles and co-payments present affordability issues.
• Access Inconveniences: Appointment availability lags demand, with long waits through public plans. Travel distances to labs, vaccination clinics or specialists may also impede utilization.
• Misconceptions: Myths like “I don’t need checks if I feel fine” or “Cancer screens aren’t necessary until I’m elderly” propagate. Knowledge gaps around immunization schedules also exist.
• False Reassurances: Negative test results provide false reassurance. For example, those with normal blood pressure may abandon lifestyle changes. Periodic re-checks are essential.
• Fear and Anxiety: Some avoid tests like colonoscopies or dental visits due to procedural anxiety. Fear of medical establishments deters others.
• Gender Bias: Outdated views that men are less vulnerable to conditions like osteoporosis or depression inhibit help-seeking.

Targeted public education around recommended best practices for preventive health can help overcome misguided perceptions. Improving access and affordability will also raise utilization rates.

Tips to Be Proactive About Your Preventive Health

Don’t just passively receive preventive care when reminded at a doctor’s appointment. Take ownership of your health journey through proactive habits and education. Ways to be deliberate with prevention include:

• Know what’s recommended: Review preventive care guidelines from organizations like the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care and stay apprised of updates. Mark your calendar with reminder alerts for tests to schedule.
• Find a primary care home: Establish an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider or clinic. Seek referrals to any needed specialists.
• Come prepared: Arrive at appointments with health questions written down. Bring a list of immunizations, prior test results, supplements or medications to share.
• Discuss the risks and benefits: Don’t blindly accept tests without understanding their purpose, limitations, possible downstream procedures, and cost implications.
• Don’t expect perfection: Health is a lifelong process with ups and downs. Don’t beat yourself up about lapses. Re-engage with prevention strategies during times you drift.
• Make self-care a priority: Instead of always putting others first, allot time for prevention priorities without guilt. You can’t care for loved ones if you neglect your health.
• Incorporate healthy habits: Complement your checkups and screenings with nutritious eating, stress management, physical activity, restorative sleep, and positivity.
• Use technology: Health trackers and apps can log immunizations, prompt about appointments due, and chart health metrics. Virtual visits also expand access.

When you take deliberate actions to get recommended preventive care and integrate prevention-oriented habits, you equip yourself for a long and healthy life.

The Takeaway

Preventive healthcare allows Canadians to prevent avoidable health issues before they escalate and cause significant complications. It offers a prudent approach to spending our limited healthcare resources. Prevention saves lives, reduces hospital admissions, and cuts health costs across populations.

Despite the benefits, many Canadians struggle to access or afford recommended preventive services like medical insurance, cancer screens and vaccines. However, prevention-first options are emerging with increased private insurance offerings, flexible work arrangements, workplace wellness initiatives, pharmacist-provided clinical services and technological innovations.

Canadians who see prevention as an invaluable investment in their long-term well-being take deliberate actions like scheduling annual physicals, knowing screening guidelines, asking health questions, and integrating positive daily habits. Remember the saying, “Health is wealth.” Prioritize prevention.

FAQs related to preventive care in Canada

Article Sources

At Ebsource, we empower Canadians to make informed benefits decisions. Our impartial insights come from financial experts aligned with industry best practices. We source accurate data from reputable government agencies like Statistics Canada. Through rigorous research of major providers, we offer tailored recommendations matched to individual needs and budgets. Ebsource upholds strict editorial standards and transparent sourcing. Our goal is equipping Canadians with trusted knowledge to confidently choose the right benefits. We aim to be Canada’s most dependable resource for savvy benefits guidance.

• What is preventive care and how can it keep me healthy? – https://news.sanfordhealth.org/
• Overview of Preventive Care – https://msdmanuals.com
• Preventive care 101: What, why and how much – https://healthpartners.com/
• What is Preventive Care? – cigna