Helping Australians make smart health choices

Transcription

1 Helping Australians make smart health choices Introducing the new healthdirect app Introducing the new healthdirect app

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3 CONTENTS Overview 4 About us 4 Our healthdirect service 5 Clinical governance 6 Service benefits 6 Australians are searching online for health information 8 Introducing the healthdirect app 9 Stakeholder engagement 10 Your help needed 11

4 OVERVIEW Healthdirect Australia is pleased to announce the launch of the healthdirect app which enables people to check symptoms, find a health service or search for trusted health information at the touch of a button. With over three-quarters of Australians looking for health and medical information online, it is important that the information they access is safe and appropriate the healthdirect service provides Australians with qualified health information to support smart health decisions. The following information provides an introduction to the heathdirect service and the new app. ABOUT US Healthdirect Australia is a public company limited by shares. We design and deliver 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. 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. We deliver a number of different health services, including healthdirect, which provides trusted health information and advice online and over the phone, available 24/7. 4 Healthdirect Australia

5 OUR HEALTHDIRECT SERVICE When people are unable to reach a GP or health service, we make sure they have access to safe, appropriate health information and advice. healthdirect is available through a combination of channels providing people with multiple ways of accessing health information. 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. Callers from Victoria and Queensland will be transferred to NURSE-ON-CALL or 13 HEALTH. HEALTHDIRECT WEBSITE The website provides health information which has been sourced from a range of Australia s leading health organisations, and has gone through a comprehensive clinical and quality assurance review. HEALTHDIRECT SYMPTOM CHECKER This online tool allows people to check their symptoms and receive advice on what healthcare action to take next. healthdirect Symptom Checker was developed in collaboration with the National Health Service (UK) and an Australian Clinical Panel including GPs and other medical specialists, ensuring that the information is safe, accurate and relevant to Australians in our unique health care system. FIND A HEALTH SERVICE Powered by the National Health Services Directory (NHSD), Australia s most comprehensive directory of health services, people using healthdirect can find the closest service that meets their needs (including details about bulk billing and after hours services). The healthdirect app gives people a new and convenient way to access the health information and advice they need, when they need it. 5 million calls to healthdirect helpline since inception 8 million visits to our websites this year 1,000 people use the healthdirect Symptom Checker every day 85 National Health Services Directory widgets on external websites 5 Healthdirect Australia

6 CLINICAL GOVERNANCE Healthdirect Australia s Clinical Governance Framework offers assurance that our health services, whether provided directly by us or our contracted service providers, are safe, appropriate and of a high quality. Offering national leadership in this area, our clinical governance team manage and monitor our services to ensure quality targets are consistently met. Healthdirect Australia s Clinical Governance Framework: focuses on best practice clinical care, designed for online and phone service models sets governance and management principles and provides accountability outlines the infrastructure needed for effective coordination, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of service quality encourages continuous quality improvement for better delivery and outcomes. Healthdirect Australia s Clinical Governance Framework offers assurance that our health services, whether provided directly by us or our contracted service providers, are safe, appropriate and of a high quality. SERVICE BENEFITS healthdirect provides the following benefits: healthdirect can improve health literacy by providing consumers with trusted information and tools to manage their own health. Low levels of health literacy may be associated with additional costs to the health system. healthdirect s Symptom Checker provides evidence-based information and advice, helping to triage consumers to the most appropriate entry point in the health system based on their health issue. Through the find a health service tool, consumers can find, plan and choose the right health services for their needs. Health professionals can use the healthdirect website as a trusted source of health information for patients. Factsheets on health conditions and symptoms can be printed from the website and distributed to patients to further improve their understanding of health issues. 6 Healthdirect Australia

7 HEALTHDIRECT AUSTRALIANS TRUST HEALTHDIRECT Lifesaving advice. I used the Symptom Checker because I had chest pain. The advice given was to go to emergency, it turned out that I d had a heart attack. I might have left it another day if it wasn t for this site healthdirect Symptom Checker user 7 Healthdirect Australia 7 Healthdirect Australia

8 AUSTRALIANS ARE SEARCHING ONLINE FOR HEALTH INFORMATION There is an increasing desire amongst Australians to find health information online. Each week in Australia, more than 12 million people search the internet for health and medical information, yet 78% of these visits land on overseas websites where there is no guarantee that the information is clinically sound or appropriate to the Australian health system.* 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.** Almost 40% of Australians look for health information for self-treatment online.*** Over 60% of Australians visiting the healthdirect website are using either a smart mobile or tablet device. 66% of Australians who seek advice through the healthdirect Symptom Checker do so through a mobile device. Based on this emerging trend there is a need for people to access safe, relevant and trustworthy information online that is appropriate to the Australian context and service standards. *SOURCE: Tracking data from **SOURCE: ***SOURCE: Market research conducted by Objective Digital in June Healthdirect Australia Annual Report

9 INTRODUCING THE HEALTHDIRECT APP The healthdirect app combines three trusted tools to help Australians make health decisions safely, quickly and easily. Users can check symptoms, find a health service or search for trusted health information at the touch of a button. There is no other Australian app that offers this unique combination of tools. SYMPTOM CHECKING CAPABILITY The healthdirect app includes a symptom checker tool which guides people through a set of questions to help them better understand their symptoms and receive personalised advice on what to do next, whether it is self-care or seeing a health professional. FIND A HEALTH SERVICE The healthdirect app puts 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. SEARCH FOR TRUSTED INFORMATION All health information in the healthdirect app is sourced from Australia s leading health organisations and has undergone a quality assurance process to ensure the information is safe, appropriate and relevant for Australians. It also complies with Healthdirect Australia s Clinical Governance Framework. A HELPING HAND IN EMERGENCIES The healthdirect app can be used in emergency situations. It will display latitude and longitude coordinates which can be relayed to emergency service operators, especially in situations where people may be in an unfamiliar place or a remote location with no obvious landmarks. 9 Healthdirect Australia

10 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Health professionals are increasingly experiencing patients who are obtaining their own health advice online. We are informing health professionals about healthdirect so you can guide patients to a safe and relevant source of health information. We will exhibit at a number of trade conferences and events throughout the year and will use these opportunities to showcase the features of the app to the healthcare services sector. In October 2015, the launch of the healthdirect app will be supported by a consumer campaign consisting of outreach to traditional and online media outlets as well as a digital marketing campaign. It is vital that we communicate directly to consumers to ensure that they know where to access information online that is safe, reliable and trustworthy. CONSUMER POSTER GP BROCHURE A new app to: Check your symptoms Find health services Get trusted health information Download it now. Search 'healthdirect' at your app store. healthdirect.gov.au 10 Healthdirect Australia

11 YOUR HELP NEEDED We encourage you to promote healthdirect and the new mobile app. RESOURCES We have a range of free resources available including posters and information leaflets. Order resources at: SOCIAL MEDIA Help spread the word about the new healthdirect app. We can provide you with social media posts to promote the app through your platforms. Contact us at: advertising@healthdirect.org.au GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK We are interested in ways we can continue to improve our service. Please send any feedback to: info@healthdirect.gov.au. DOWNLOAD THE FREE HEALTHDIRECT APP Search healthdirect at your app store. 11 Healthdirect Australia 11 Healthdirect Australia

12 Level 19,133 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 Phone: (02) ABN HDA59b - Information Pack Stakeholder 2015