Introduction to Health Checks

Learning objectives Familiarisation with the Well Persons and Well Child Health Check tool Understand the relationship between screening and health checks Understand why health checks should be done

What are Health Checks? Preferred format for screening of all adults and children in rural and remote areas Play a major role in chronic disease prevention, detection and management

Health checks constitute a large part of the chronic disease guidelines. Evidence based tool for use at the primary health care level Chronic Disease Guidelines

Health Checks Compiled and developed based on: Medicare mandatory requirements : linked to Medicare Items Recommendations of a number of organisations specialising in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and primary health care

Why do we need to screen? Monitor a child’s growth Monitor individual health status Identify and respond to risk factors and health problems Respond to health problems early to prevent further complications in adult life

Why are they needed? Poor health of individuals Poor health of population Higher than average infant mortality rate Decreased life expectancy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population High rates of chronic disease

Data collection Health Check data needs to be collected to Record sequential information on clients Identify population trends The primary health information system Ferret® has been set up to collect this information – System development and/or manual recording would be required for organisations not using Ferret

Learning Activity Please complete the learning activity learning activity