Northwest Health offers heart health assessment

Northwest Health System wants to help local residents assess their risk for heart disease — the No. 1 killer of men and women in the U.S. each year.

Comprehensive health information and the opportunity to schedule a free appointment with a clinician is just a click away

Community members need only visit the Northwest Health System website and choose the heart risk assessment for a quick, easy, online profile of their personal health and various risk factors for heart disease.

Based on the results, a recommendation will be provided regarding further follow-up. Every person who completes a heart risk assessment and indicates that he or she would like to be contacted receives a call from a clinician to discuss their individual results.

Risk assessment results can be forwarded to the patient’s primary care physician or a referral to a physician or specialist can be provided. All personal information is protected on a secure site and, if a patient chooses to schedule a follow-up appointment with a physician, is forwarded to the physician to become part of the patient’s medical file.

“The online heart risk assessment provides us the opportunity to provide customized, personal care with a clear clinical pathway,” says Northwest Health System CEO Dan McKay. “We know that, in today’s busy society, the Internet is increasingly used to research health topics and, in many cases, make health care decisions. This technology allows us to offer a valuable new service to the community, with personalized, reliable health advice – and follow-through for needed medical treatment — from a source that the people who live and work in northwest Arkansas know and trust – the health care professionals at Northwest Health System.”

At the conclusion of their heart risk assessment, patients may also sign up to receive email news on pertinent health topics from Northwest Health System, including general health, nutrition, fitness, and smoking cessation.