healthdirect Symptom Checker Communications Toolkit

Contents Introduction... 3 Welcome... 3 About Healthdirect Australia... 3 Background... 3 healthdirect Symptom Checker... 4 What is the healthdirect Symptom Checker?... 4 Who developed the healthdirect Symptom Checker?... 4 How does the healthdirect Symptom Checker improve health literacy?... 5 How is the information in the healthdirect Symptom Checker maintained?... 5 Widget... 6 Resources... 7 Article for consumers... 7 Article for health professionals... 7 Video... 7 Social Media Creatives... 8 Social Media Posts... 9

Introduction Welcome This communications toolkit provides resources to promote the healthdirect Symptom Checker across different channels such as websites, newsletters and social media. This document is intended to be used by our shareholders, information partners, Primary Health Networks and Local Health Districts. Background More than 80 per cent of Australians seek health information online and 77 per cent 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.* This is why Healthdirect Australia developed the healthdirect Symptom Checker. About Healthdirect Australia Healthdirect Australia was established by the governments of Australia in 2006. 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. * Market research conducted by Objective Digital in June 2013. 3

healthdirect Symptom Checker What is the healthdirect Symptom Checker? The healthdirect Symptom Checker is an online guided self-triage tool which allows people to check their symptoms, and find trusted health information and advice on what to do next. Users are guided through a set of questions about their health concern and are given advice about the care they need at the time. The purpose of the healthdirect Symptom Checker is to guide people to the appropriate care at the appropriate time, providing: self-care information so people can safely look after themselves at home, or until they can visit their regular GP information on what to keep watch for, when to call Triple Zero (000), or go to the emergency department general information to help people understand the symptoms they are experiencing. If the consumer is directed to a health service, the healthdirect Symptom Checker will draw on the National Health Services Directory (NHSD) to provide a list of relevant health services with information, such as contact details, opening hours and availability of bulk billing. When accessing the healthdirect Symptom Checker through the mobile app, it also provides a map, which users can easily navigate to the health service with GPS. The healthdirect Symptom Checker is not: O for emergency situations O a diagnostic tool O a substitute for professional health care O an alternative to seeing a GP. The healthdirect Symptom Checker is not designed to compete with GP consultations, or other face-to-face services. It's an adjunct and support to these. Who developed the healthdirect Symptom Checker? The healthdirect Symptom Checker was developed by Healthdirect Australia in collaboration with the National Health Service (UK) and a clinical panel of Australian health professionals to ensure that the information is safe, accurate, and relevant to Australians in our unique health care system. The Clinical Panel was identified through the Clinical Governance Advisory Group (Board Committee of Healthdirect Australia) to review the different symptom flows and content in an Australian environment. The Clinical Panel consisted of at least an emergency physician and nurse, a general practitioner, paediatrician, pharmacist and ambulance officer. These clinicians were considered essential to the review process as these are the main contact points in the recommended dispositions. An obstetrician and midwife reviewed the flow for pregnancy symptoms, and a mental health nurse, and psychiatrist for mental health symptoms. 4

How does the healthdirect Symptom Checker improve health literacy? The healthdirect Symptom Checker improves health literacy by: P providing further information so people can understand their symptoms P providing information about why we are asking certain questions P allowing people to print out a summary of the questions and answers to take to a health service, which can assist with triage P providing a reference number so if the person calls the healthdirect helpline, the nurse can review the answers P encouraging people to call the healthdirect helpline, if the person is finding it difficult to describe their symptoms P providing a strong message at the front entry point of the symptom checker about emergency conditions requiring Triple Zero (000). How is the information in the healthdirect Symptom Checker maintained? Healthdirect Australia has a robust quality improvement process that is used to make changes to the healthdirect Symptom Checker. Feedback from consumers, along with data from software and web analytics is reviewed continuously and opportunities for quality improvements are identified. 5

Widget The healthdirect Symptom Checker can be easily embedded on your website with only a few simple lines of code. Known as a widget, the healthdirect Symptom Checker is customisable to any website, and is available in different sizes and formats. The healthdirect Symptom Checker widget will allow your website users to be more engaged, so they will stay longer on your website. It is also another way for consumers to access trusted health information. If you would like more information about the widget, please contact: widgets@healthdirect.org.au 6

Resources Help us get Australians to their GP and other healthcare services at the right time by promoting the healthdirect Symptom Checker. Here are some resources that are available to you: Article for consumers Have you ever been in a situation when you re feeling unwell and you don t know what to do? Next time, you can use the healthdirect Symptom Checker to get the advice you need, when you need it the most. Video A healthdirect Symptom Checker video that can also be embedded onto your website to promote the healthdirect Symtptom Checker tool is available. The healthdirect Symptom Checker is an online tool to help you decide: what to do next how to manage your symptoms at home and if you need to see a health professional. where to go helps you locate the nearest GP, pharmacy or emergency department. Funded by Australian government, the healthdirect Symptom Checker is free to use and provides you with trusted health information and advice about your health concern. Try the healthdirect Symptom Checker now at: healthdirect.gov.au/symptom-checker This video is online and can be viewed via our Youtube channel at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhivbhlnihu Article for health professionals Did you know? Did you know that more than 80 per cent of Australians seek health information online the majority are looking for information about diseases and symptoms. With so many people accessing health information online, it s important that the information they are accessing is safe, relevant and trustworthy, which is why the healthdirect Symptom Checker has been developed. The healthdirect Symptom Checker is an online self-triage tool, which provides evidence-based information and advice to help triage consumers to the most appropriate entry point in the health system at the appropriate time. The healthdirect Symptom Checker is not a diagnostic tool, or substitute for face-to-face health care. Funded by the Australian government, the healthdirect Symptom Checker is free to use and developed by an Clinical Panel including GPs and other medical specialists to ensure that the information is relevant to Australians in our unique health care system. For more information visit: healthdirect.gov.au/symptom-checker 7

Resources Social Media Creatives Here are some social media creatives and posts that are available to promote the healthdirect Symptom Checker. You may choose to link the images to the healthdirect Symptom Checker information on the healthdirect website: www.healthdirect.gov.au/symptom-checker or to your own website if you have the healthdirect Symptom Checker widget. 8

Social Media Posts Get free and trusted health advice and find out what to do. Check your symptoms here. Feeling unwell? Not sure what to do? Check your symptoms here and get some advice you can trust. Feeling unwell? Not sure if you need a doctor? The healthdirect Symptom Checker can help you decide what to do next. Please contact communications@healthdirect.org.au for the above social media creative files, or if you have any further enquiries about promoting the healthdirect Symptom Checker. 9