The results of a national poll from NORC at the University of Chicago are alarming. Around 40 per cent of Americans reported skipping a recommended medical test or treatment. Also, 44 per cent said they didn’t visit a doctor because of cost, despite being sick or injured.
Well, this was from a developed country. Can you imagine what the numbers will be in a developing country like ours?
Are you delaying or avoiding buying health insurance because of the pre-policy medical tests?
What’s your first instinct when the insurer asks for pre-policy medical tests? Are you making excuses and delaying buying the policy due to fear of medical test results?
Medical Test Anxiety
Medical test anxiety is the fear of medical tests. Medical tests are procedures used to diagnose, screen for or measure diseases or conditions. Most of us have a mild form of medical test anxiety, and we tend to avoid or delay medical tests.
But for some people, it may be extreme. They might have a phobia. Now, a phobia is an anxiety disorder that causes an intense, irrational fear of something. However, it may not pose an actual danger at all. Phobias can manifest physical symptoms like trembling, shortness of breath or increased heartbeat.
Common Types of Medical Test Anxiety
Iatrophobia
It is the fear of doctors, medical examinations and tests. People who have Iatrophobia avoid visiting medical practitioners and medical testing centres. It might be okay in the case of minor ones. But this can be a massive problem if they have an aggravated condition.
Trypanophobia
Trypanophobia is the fear of needles.
Let’s face it, none of us likes to be poked with needles. But most of us understand the benefits of an injection, drip or collecting a sample. That’s why we go ahead with our medical tests despite our reservations. However, this can lead to real issues if the person refuses injections despite having chronic conditions.
Claustrophobia
It is the fear of small and enclosed spaces. It might be triggered while trying to undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI tests. During an MRI session, the subject is placed in a small, enclosed tube-shaped MRI scanner. And MRIs are generally performed for severe conditions.
How to cope with the fears?
Some common relaxation techniques can help you in any potentially stressful situation.
Deep Breathing
Whenever you feel uncomfortable, take a few slow breaths. Count to three during each of them. Repeat this till you feel better. If you are feeling lightheaded, you need to slow down even more.
Counting Numbers
Count to ten, slowly and silently. It will calm you down.
Use your Imagination
Close your eyes and visualise a place that makes you feel happy.
Relax your Muscles
Pay attention to the muscles in each section of your body one by one. Make them relaxed and loose while you are here.
Communicate
Talk to a person as the procedure is being performed. It will keep your attention away from the procedure.
And here are some specific tactics for each phobia.
For Iatrophobia
- Get a friend or a family member to accompany you during the procedure.
- While waiting, read a book or a magazine, watch a video or play a game on your phone. This should keep your mind away from the impending procedure.
- Take some medicines that can reduce your anxiety in consultation with a medical practitioner.
- For very severe cases, you may consult your mental health practitioner.
For Trypanophobia
- Drink lots of fluids before the procedure with prior permission from your medical practitioner. This might make it easier to draw blood.
- Check with your medical practitioner if you can consume topical medicines to numb the skin.
- Turn away from the procedure while it is happening. Close your eyes. Think about a happy place.
- In some cases, you can ask for an alternative to the needle. For example, if you need insulin injections, you can ask for a jet injector instead.
For claustrophobia
- During an MRI, you might ask your health practitioner for a mild sedative.
- In some cases, your medical practitioner can allow an open MRI instead of a closed one. There would be a compromise in image quality involved with an open MRI. But it might just do the job in some cases.
Some of these techniques are for severe cases. Most of us need to be mentally prepared to go through a pre-policy medical test.
Necessary Procedure
A pre-policy medical test is necessary for some health insurance policies. The insurer does not judge you based on your medical tests. Nor do they have a prejudice. These have to be conducted for the insurer to perform a proper risk assessment. That is the only purpose of a test. It is simply something that has to be done by every insured person.