Preventive examinations in Lower Austria: Why look so few people?

Preventive examinations in Lower Austria: Why look so few people?

Lower Austria show little interest in health care: only 8.9 percent of the population from the age of 18 used the free, state -offered preventive examinations last year. This corresponds only to 125,800 people and leads Lower Austria to the last place in the federal state comparison. These alarming numbers could have fatal consequences, since early diagnoses are decisive for the success of the treatment, warn specialists.

The general practitioner Dagmar Fedra-Machacek from Perchtoldsdorf emphasizes the need to clarify to increase the participation in these important health checks. Men in particular often shy away from using preventive examinations for fear of unpleasant results. "It is better to recognize small problems early before there are big challenges," she explains. Regular checks could not only protect health, but also win valuable lifetime, says Fedra-Machacek. The need to have men from 50 regularly examined for prostate cancer and to offer mammographies for women over the age of 40 every two years is highlighted. The integration of vaccination consultations into the preventive examinations is also a wish of the doctor. According to noe.orf.at it is of crucial importance to integrate preventive measures such as endurance and strength training into everyday life in order to increase the quality of life sustainably.

The urgency of this topic is reinforced again by the low participation rate of health checks. Despite the fact that many tests are painless and the risk of serious diseases is reduced by regular health investigations, the use of such offers remains terrifyingly low. According to doctors, it is of the utmost importance to inform the population about the advantages of preventive examinations and motivate them to use these offers to actively promote their health.