Periodic health assessment
- INESSS Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux
- HC Hypertension Canada
| Who | Measure at appropriate visits Not every visit if not indicated. |
|---|---|
| Diagnose | ≥130/80 Office = home = daytime ABPM. |
| Target | Systolic <130 if tolerated.
No diastolic target once systolic at goal. |
| Start | ≥140/90 any risk: start drugs 130–139: drugs only if high cardiovascular risk. |
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
| Decision | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | One-time ultrasound, ages 65-80 (weak). Do not screen men >80 (weak). | Do not screen women (strong). |
- Higher risk in smokers noted;
-
CTFPHC made no separate smoker recommendation.
- INESSS Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux
- MSSS Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
- Ask every visit.
- Brief advice + INESSS cessation tool opens in a new tab / J'ARRETE opens in a new tab for tobacco or nicotine vaping.
- ObC Obesity Canada
- Measure height, weight, and BMI in all adults.
- Waist circumference if BMI 25-35.
- Treat obesity as chronic disease (health goals, not weight alone).
- PIQ Protocole d'immunisation du Québec (MSSS)
| Decision | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Calendar | Use PIQ, not NACI. |
| Pregnancy | dcaT every pregnancy, prefer 26-32 w |
| Age 50 | dT (no booster if dose from age 40) |
| Age 65 | Pneu-C-21 + influenza annually |
| Age 71 | Zona-SU |
- CSEP Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology
| Decision | Guideline |
|---|---|
| 18-64 opens in a new tab | ≥150 min/wk MVPA;
strength ≥2x/wk;
sleep 7-9h;
sedentary ≤8h (screens ≤3h recreational) |
| 65+ opens in a new tab | Same 150 + strength 2x + balance;
sleep 7-8h |
Tests when indicated — not an annual chem panel.
- INESSS Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux
- PEER PEER (Patients, Experience, Evidence, Research), CFPC
- CCS Canadian Cardiovascular Society
- HC Hypertension Canada
- DC Diabetes Canada
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
- ObC Obesity Canada
- CWC Choosing Wisely Canada
| Decision | Guideline |
|---|---|
| CBC | Not annual in asymptomatic EMP When indicated. CANMAT depression: CBC + TSH only. |
| Cr / eGFR | Not annual alone With lipid screen (CCS).
At hypertension diagnosis (INESSS). INESSS 2026CCS 2021 lipids opens in a new tab |
| Na/K | Not annual At hypertension diagnosis. |
| ALT | Not every EMP Obesity Canada: NAFLD/MASH during obesity assessment. |
| Glycemia | ≥40 every 3 years Fasting plasma glucose and/or HbA1c. Diabetes Canada chapter 4 opens in a new tabDiabetes Canada chapter 3 opens in a new tab |
| Lipids | Men ≥40, women ≥50 Reassess CVD risk/lipids at most every 5 years;
prefer 10 years if untreated. Men 40 and over;
women 40 and over or postmenopausal |
| Lp(a) | Once at initial screening Against Lp(a) or ApoB to determine cardiovascular risk |
| Non-fasting | Non-fasting for most CCS 2021 lipids opens in a new tabPEER 2023 in CFP opens in a new tab |
| eGFR | When screening lipids (CCS): include eGFR and FPG or A1C. |
| B12 | Clinical indication only |
| uACR | At hypertension diagnosis Dipstick or UA + uACR (INESSS).
CCS: also with lipids if eGFR <60 or hypertension or diabetes. INESSS 2026CCS 2021 lipids opens in a new tab |
| TSH | Do not screen asymptomatic non-pregnant adults for thyroid dysfunction. Test if
CMAJ 2019 opens in a new tabCTFPHC thyroid FAQ opens in a new tabCWC family medicine opens in a new tabCTFPHC thyroid opens in a new tab |
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
- OC Osteoporosis Canada
| Decision | Guideline |
|---|---|
| When / how | Females ≥65: Canadian FRAX without BMD first, then shared decision-making.
Against screening females 40-64 and males ≥40. BMD if ≥70 with no CRF /
≥65 with 1 CRF /
50-64 if prior OP fracture or ≥2 CRFs.
Prefer FRAX with BMD. |
- MSSS Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
| Decision | Guideline |
|---|---|
| MSSS | ≤25 sexually active:
recommend chlamydia;
gonorrhea for women;
for men only Terres-Cries / Nunavik. Under 30: opportunistic annual CT+GC (CTFPHC). |
- HCSC Health Canada
- Plate ~1/2 veg/fruit, 1/4 whole grain, 1/4 protein. opens in a new tab
- Water drink of choice;
- plant proteins more often;
-
limit Na/free sugars/sat fat.
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
- CCCDTD Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia
| Decision | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Do not screen | Asymptomatic adults ≥65 (no instrument). |
| Assess when | Patient, clinician, or caregiver concern, or signs/symptoms affecting daily life. |
| How | Informant + MMSE;
MoCA if MCI or MMSE ≥24/30. |
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
- Do not use a depression questionnaire to screen adults ≥18 (strong).
- MSSS Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
- Do not screen if risk is not elevated.
-
MSSS: transfusion before April 1992, among others.
- CTFPHC Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care
- Do not perform a screening pelvic examination.
- CSBPR Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations (Heart & Stroke)
- Do not use ASA for routine primary prevention (CSBPR).
- INESSS Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux
- MSSS Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
| Site | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Cervical | - | HPV 25–65 / every 5 y (immunocompetent).
Stop 65 (INESSS default cease; MSSS max age 65). |
| Breast | - | 50-74 / every 2 y (PQDCS) |
| Colorectal | 50-74 / every 2 y (FIT avg risk) | 50-74 / every 2 y (FIT avg risk) |
| Lung | 55-74; smoked ≥20 y; refer CCSR | 55-74; smoked ≥20 y;
refer CCSR |
| Prostate | Do not offer systematically.
If requested: 55-69. | - |
Reviewed 24 August 2026 against the official sources below.
Sources
Blue square: Québec · red round: Canada. The code names the body; each section's key gives its full name.