Pathway to Better Health

Wanda Amons walks with her dog, Cola, in her Durham neighborhood. Photo by Stephen Schramm.

Staying on a Pathway to Better Health

Even in COVID-19, keep up with screenings and preventive care

Whether she’s walking her dog, Cola, trouble down the road,” said Dr. Brian Antono, or doing water aerobics at the a family medicine and primary care doctor Duke Health & Fitness Center, with Duke Family Medicine and Community Wanda Amons enjoys staying Health. active. But with type 2 diabetes and arthritis For adults on Duke medical plans, the in her left knee, Amons, 64, knows that to frequency of preventive care visits returned to maintain that lifestyle, she must stay vigilant. pre-pandemic levels by the fall of 2020. That’s

So last fall, Amons decided to keep the a welcome development since a study by the long-scheduled appointment for her annual American Journal of Preventive Medicine medical physical. While the pandemic forced estimated that staying current on preventive her to work remotely and limited trips away care visits could save as many as 100,000 lives from home, the value of seeing her doctor each year. outweighed any risk of venturing out. Mammograms and colonoscopies are

“It was important to continue with covered in full under Duke’s employee health my visits so I know where I stand with my plans. Annual physicals are covered with an health,” said Amons, a Duke Children’s Dr. Brian Antono office co-pay. Hospital staff assistant who has worked at Duke health plan members can also take Duke for 12 years. part in most office visits virtually through phone or video with

Amons’ situation is common during the pandemic as people a regular co-pay. Members of Duke Select, the most popular balance concerns about the virus with the need to continue employee plan, have $20 co-pays for primary care visits; $55 for preventive visits such as colonoscopies and mammograms. specialists.

According to the Health Care Cost Institute, which compiles “There’s more than one way to interact with us, and we will national health care data for policymakers, mammograms were work with your concerns,” Antono said. “We just care about down nearly 80 percent in the early months of the pandemic getting you the care you need.” compared with the same period a year earlier. Colonoscopies At her in-person visit, Amons got help for her knee pain, were down nearly 90 percent. For adults covered by Duke received praise for losing 10 pounds and left with peace of mind. employee medical plans, preventive medicine visits of all kinds “I’d tell anybody to keep those visits up, especially as you get dropped 74 percent in May 2020 compared to a year earlier. older,” Amons said. “It’s worth it.” 

“You shouldn’t neglect these visits because it could lead to

By Stephen Schramm