Prevention is often called the best medicine — but research has shown that millions of Americans are not getting the preventive care they should to live long, healthy lives. Obstacles like inadequate access to care and financial barriers can keep people away from the doctor, but anxiety and feeling like care is unnecessary are also common deterrents.
“There are a lot of things that every person could do to stay healthy, and this could help people to feel better, improve their quality of life and help them to live longer,” says Dr. Alex Krist, a professor of family medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and vice chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a panel of experts that sets a variety of preventive care recommendations for Americans. (See all of their recommendations here.)
