In the past, individuals only considered going to a doctor when they felt sick and

deemed seeking medical advice and treatment completely necessary. However, nowadays,
more and more people are preemptively practicing preventive healthcare. Preventive
healthcare utilizes routine checkups and screenings to ensure that the body is working at
its best. This practice cultivates proactive healthcare by regularly assessing physical health
through vigilant monitoring. It is key in preventing overlooked diagnoses and ensuring
timely identification of medical conditions before they escalate into critical and potentially
fatal situations. Consequently, it becomes more achievable to prevent the fast progression
of diseases and avoid burdensome medical bills. Regular checkups and screenings are vital
components of preventive healthcare that are essential for detecting, preventing, and
monitoring diseases, while also helping to prevent future burdensome medical bills,
ultimately leading to improved lifespan longevity and optimal health.

Routine checkups and screenings play a crucial role in detecting the early stages of
diseases, thereby preventing their progression and improving the chances of successful
treatment outcomes. Regular screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies detect
cancer at its early stages, increasing the likelihood of a favorable prognosis. This is
especially important for people with hereditary diseases or family histories of certain
medical conditions. By monitoring health status and detecting potential health risks early
on, healthcare professionals can develop personalized treatment plans to prevent or detect
conditions at their earliest stages. As Blore (2018), as cited in Healthy Me PA (2018),
emphasized, early detection of cancer, metabolic disorders, or diseases such as heart
disease is crucial for successful treatment outcomes and healthier lives. The
aforementioned statement underscores the importance of identifying such risk factors
during the onset of diseases to enable healthcare professionals to offer tailored guidance to
patients on how to improve survival rates in case of medical issues. Simply put, early
detection leads to optimal health and increased life expectancy.

*Body paragraph about preventive healthcare’s aid in monitoring existing diseases*

Routine checkups and screenings not only detect, prevent, and monitor medical
conditions but also save future medical expenses. Early detection and timely treatment can
prevent the need for expensive interventions later on. According to a study by the Partnership
to Fight Chronic Disease (2019), "preventive services such as regular check-ups, cancer
screenings, and immunizations could save the U.S. $3.7 trillion in healthcare costs by 2030."
Additionally, prompt identification of risk factors allows healthcare professionals to recommend
lifestyle changes or preventive measures that can help avoid costly interventions in the long
run. For example, managing high blood pressure and cholesterol through lifestyle modifications
and medication can prevent the need for costly interventions like surgeries or hospitalizations.
Furthermore, regular cancer screenings can significantly reduce treatment costs and improve
the chances of a cure. Overall, routine checkups and screenings benefit individual health and
reduce healthcare costs on a national level.
 Healthy Me PA. (2018, August 17). Preventing Diseases: The Importance of
Preventive Care. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from
https://www.healthymepa.com/2018/08/17/preventing-diseases-importance-
preventive-care/
Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease. (2019). The value of prevention: Annual
report 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.fightchronicdisease.org/sites/default/files/pfcd_report_2019.pdf