The Facts

• Personal health assessments are do-it-yourself evaluations on one's current health situation. They use convenient methods usually available online, which makes for easy monitoring. Information like medical history and lifestyle choices are collected in order to map out a wellness regimen as a preventive measure.
  
  

Significance

• Costly health care systems have prompted medical companies to offer personal health assessments. These do-it-yourself programs are now available online encouraging people to have an efficient health management program on their own. Personal health assessments provide benefits to both groups and individuals who wish take on a proactive stance toward a healthy lifestyle.
  
  

Features

• Carrying out a personal health assessment takes into account the family's medical history and undergoing lifestyle checks. The family's health situation will show illnesses prevalent among family members. It determines the person's risk factors and sets necessary measures to prevent life-threatening diseases in the future.
  Lifestyle checks are done to assess a person's current health status. The most common factors affecting the health are diet, level of daily activity and alcohol use or tobacco intake if any. These lifestyle choices will show telltale signs of possible health problems.
  
  

Types

• There are many online personal health assessments available today. Programs like Wellstream and RealAge are popular for their user-friendly methods. Subscribers can log on to their data stored in the websites, which offer a wealth of information on fitness programs suited for every need. The American Institute of Preventive Medicine uses a Health Report Card, a simple quiz that gets to the core of the person's predisposition to health hazards.
  
  

Benefits

• Personal health assessments provide a clear picture of a person's health situation. It gives him a chance to monitor red flags and maintain good habits over time. As accurate data on the medical history are collected, doctors can show suitable courses of action as soon as possible. Personal health assessments sponsored by companies give them a solid background of their employees' well being. Thus it can help them formulate interventions to thwart unhealthy practices in the workplace.