Helping Australians make smart health choices.

Transcription

1 Helping Australians make smart health choices.

2 Who is Healthdirect Australia? Healthdirect Australia designs and delivers innovative services to provide every Australian with 24/7 access to trusted information and the advice they need to manage their own health and related issues. We are uniquely positioned as an organisation established by the Council of Australian Governments with a mandate to work across jurisdictional boundaries to deliver telehealth and online services to the whole population. We share trusted knowledge Our rigorous clinical governance protocols and partnerships with leading health organisations ensure our services provide consistent and quality national standards of information, triage and advice. We offer value Our national reach allows us to achieve economies of scale, and our efficient use of innovation and technology reduces cost and duplication in health service delivery.

3 We care about health consumers We are committed to improving health literacy by providing people with the trusted information they need to manage their own health. We believe in smart health We leverage technology across our services to ensure people have access to quality health information where and when they need it, in the way they want to receive it. Healthdirect Australia delivers a number of different health services, including healthdirect, which provides trusted health information and advice online and over the phone, available 24/7.

4 About healthdirect At those times when your patients can t see you, we make sure they have access to safe, appropriate health information and advice. healthdirect can help your patients make informed choices about their health concerns by providing them with qualified health information and connecting them to their nearest open health services. The service is multiple channel, meaning it uses a combination of technologies to provide people with multiple ways of accessing the service, in line with their preferences: healthdirect helpline Registered nurses are available 24/7 to provide information and advice when people aren t sure what to do whether they should see their local GP, manage the condition themselves at home, or go to an emergency department. healthdirect website The website provides trusted online health information which has been sourced from Australia s leading health organisations and has gone through comprehensive clinical review.

5 Safe, appropriate health information and advice healthdirect Symptom Checker This is an online tool which allows people to check their symptoms and receive personalised advice on what healthcare action to take next. Find a health service healthdirect has the most comprehensive directory of Australian health services so people can find the closest service that meets their needs (including details about bulk billing and after hours services). Launching soon is the healthdirect app, adding another channel to the service which will provide people with a more convenient way to access the health information and advice they need.

6 Digital disruption to health advice There is an increasing desire amongst Australians to find health information online. Not all GPs are able to be online providing advice to patients through websites, apps or social media. There is a need for people to be able to access safe, relevant and trustworthy information appropriate to the Australian context and service standards and this is where healthdirect comes in. Did you know? Close to 40% of Australians look for health information for self-treatment online.* is the highest rating health advice website in the world with estimated monthly visits of approximately 60 million 1.5 million of these come from Australia.** 66% of Australians who seek advice through the healthdirect Symptom Checker do so using a mobile device. * SOURCE: Market research conducted by Objective Digital in June 2013 **SOURCE:

7 healthdirect app Launching in October 2015, the healthdirect app combines three trusted tools to help Australians make health decisions safely, quickly and easily. Users can search for trusted health information, check symptoms and find a health service at the touch of a button. There is no other Australian app that offers this unique combination of tools. Search for trusted information Instant access to information on thousands of health information topics sourced from Australia s leading health organisations. Symptom checking capability Guides people through a set of questions to help them better understand their symptoms and receive personalised advice on what to do next. Find a health service The most comprehensive directory of Australian health services at people s fingertips. Results are based on a person s location, allowing them to find the closest service that meets their needs and the directions to reach it. A helping hand in emergencies The app will display latitude and longitude coordinates which can be relayed to emergency service operators to give an accurate location.

8 FAQs How do I know the information and advice from healthdirect is reliable? R All registered nurses on the healthdirect helpline are registered through AHPRA. R Healthdirect Australia partners with leading organisations such as peak bodies, government agencies, research institutes, educational institutes and not-for-profit organisations to source high quality health information for our websites. R The healthdirect Symptom Checker has been developed in collaboration with the NHS (UK) and an Australian Clinical Panel including GPs and other medical specialists. As a GP why should I trust my patients to access health information online? R 77% of Australians are seeking medical advice online***. Unfortunately the vast majority of the websites they are visiting are based internationally. Whilst many of these websites may well offer high-quality medical advice, there s no guarantee that the information is clinically sound or appropriate to the Australian context. healthdirect addresses this concern by providing advice that is suited to the needs of Australians. ***SOURCE: Tracking data from

9 77% of Australians seek medical advice online How does healthdirect benefit me as a GP? R Find a health service If you are registered with our National Health Services Directory, healthdirect can help refer patients in your area to you through the find a health service tool. R Referrals Being in the National Health Services Directory means other health professionals can also easily find you. R After hours GPs offer unrivalled care but you do need to sleep! With healthdirect you can be assured that there is a trusted source guiding people to appropriate services in the after hours and your patients won t be getting you out of bed unnecessarily...

10 Your help needed We encourage you to promote healthdirect to your patients and colleagues, and invite you to give us feedback so we can continually improve our service. Resources for patients We have a range of free resources you can order for your GP practice, including posters, information leaflets and magnets. Place your collateral order at: promotional-material. Check your details Ensure your patients and colleagues can find you by making sure your details are up to date in the National Health Services Directory:

11 Give us your feedback We are interested in ways we can continue to improve our service. Please send any feedback to: Keep an eye out for the app Search for healthdirect at your app store. For more information about Healthdirect Australia and our services visit

12 Search for healthdirect at your app store. healthdirect.gov.au