Citation

LaDou J, Sherwood JN, Hughes L. West. J. Med. 1975; 122(2): 177-180.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1975, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1114813

PMCID

PMC1130323

Abstract

A program of annual health examinations was expanded to include counseling based on a computerized appraisal of individual patients' specific health hazard factors. Data obtained from a specially designed questionnaire, laboratory tests and a physical examination yielded a printout showing a number of weighted risk factors and their relation to ten leading causes of death as determined for that patient. From all of this information, a risk ("apparent") age was developed for the patient. The results were reviewed with each patient, and methods of correcting health hazards were stressed. A total of 488 persons were appraised, and 107 were randomly reappraised in less than a year, with the finding that the net risk age was reduced by 1.4 years. Such a reduction in risk age is significant; it indicates that appraisal-based counseling is an effective method of altering priorities of health practices.

Language: en