Recommended Health Maintenance Schedule for Primary Care

Primary-care physicians often provide the first medical point of contact for ill or injured individuals, with emergency-room care being the exception. In order to safeguard your health and prevent illness, it is recommended that you follow a regular schedule of appointments with your primary-care provider.

Pediatric

• A child's primary -provider is usually his or her pediatrician, and children should see these doctors more often than adults see their PCPs. For instance, during the first year of life, it is recommended that babies have at least seven health and wellness visits -- even more if they fall unexpectedly ill.

Adult

• Adults tend to need fewer PCP visits than children or the elderly, provided they are in good health. At least one visit per year is the recommended number, unless the patient suffers from a chronic illness or other medical condition.

Geriatric

• The elderly are second only to small children when it comes to the number of recommended annual PCP visits. Health-maintenance visits for seniors need to be scheduled at least once every six months. Fewer visits may be possible if the elderly person is seen regularly for monitoring of an ongoing medical condition by a specialist.