Demand is strong for healthdirect website as a trusted digital health resource
Published: 13 September 2024
Healthdirect Australia manages and maintains the healthdirect website, a national health information resource that received 43 million visits by Australians in FY24. It is widely used by consumers and linked to by government health departments, health organisations and the Australian media.
“The healthdirect website is current, uses health literacy principles and includes advice about what to do next. Rigorous clinical governance processes and regular maintenance ensure our information is safe and of an extremely high quality,” Petra Milnes, General Manager, Delivery and Engagement at Healthdirect Australia says.
“The availability of this type of evidence-based consumer-friendly information for all Australians is critical to combat the spread of misinformation online,” says Ms Milnes.
Government trusts healthdirect as a valuable resource
As a national, government-funded resource, healthdirect’s comprehensive and up-to-date content reduces the need to duplicate content across jurisdictions. Government and health websites linking to healthdirect.gov.au drove 1.8 million website visits in FY24.
Additionally, government websites provided multiple access points to the healthdirect Service Finder, driving 637,000 sessions to the digital self-help tool for those seeking to locate an appropriate healthcare service.
Specialised health content from Information Partners
The healthdirect website provides a broad, evidence-based health overview for consumers, supplemented by links to more specialist, in-depth information on Partner sites. Information Partner websites comprise 60 per cent of sites clicked through to directly from healthdirect website.
“The value of our partnership with healthdirect can be explained in one powerful word — trust,” says Louise Gray, CEO of NOFASD Australia (National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), in this newsletter’s Partner in Focus interview.
All truth risks being compromised on the internet, and health information is one of the areas which is most at risk of digital misinformation. To me, the role of healthdirect goes far beyond the benefit to NOFASD; it is an important and reliable source of information for all Australians.
To optimise the links from healthdirect to your website, please contact your Partner Managers, Christina Brimage and Jennifer Brittain
Media coverage adds reach
Mainstream media use healthdirect as a trusted, verifiable source of up-to-date, accurate information to support health-based news stories. Healthdirect’s Chief Medical Officer is regularly quoted in media articles. In addition to regular recommendations to visit the healthdirect website or call the helpline, healthdirect also featured in 169 news stories in FY24, with a combined reach of 382 million mainstream media consumers.