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The benefits to health of the periodic health examination or evaluation (PHE) have been questioned. Some have suggested that such exams could result in harm by leading to services without proven benefit. Researchers performed a systematic review to synthesize evidence on possible benefits and harms; they identified 10 randomized controlled trials and 23 observational studies that compared patients who did and did not undergo a PHE. The PHE was defined as one or more visits to a healthcare provider with the primary purpose of assessing overall health and risk factors for preventable diseases by history and tailored physical examination. Usual care (not a PHE) was the delivery of clinical preventive services during a visit without that primar…