Health app gives peace of mind this holiday season
Published: 17 December 2020
The holiday season is a busy time for emergency departments as some GPs take a well-deserved break. It’s an ideal time for GPs to encourage patients to download the healthdirect app (Opens in new tab) to have health advice at their fingertips if they get sick or injured.
Healthdirect is a clinical, evidence-based service that triages symptoms and provides advice about what to do next and where to get the appropriate level of care.
The free government-funded healthdirect app is an easy one-stop shop for those with health concerns. It includes:
- Symptom Checker (Opens in new tab) — triages symptoms and provides advice about the level of care needed
- Service Finder (Opens in new tab) — searchable database of health services including when they are open
- Restriction Checker (Opens in new tab) — current state-by-state COVID-19 restrictions
- Medicines Service (Opens in new tab) — consumer-friendly information about 10,000 medicines
- Risk Checker (Opens in new tab) — questionnaire and advice for heart disease, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes
- Health information (Opens in new tab) — online information about hundreds of health topics
- COVID-19 (Opens in new tab) — the most up-to-date information and healthdirect coronavirus tools
I need some health advice but my GP is on holiday
The Symptom Checker is an easy-to use digital tool that provides trusted health advice about what to do next. Users answer a series of questions and, based on their answers, are advised to either take care of themselves (the advice can be read and then be sent via SMS), see a health professional within a recommended timeframe or visit an emergency department.
If advised to see a health professional, users are seamlessly linked to the healthdirect Service Finder which provides the location and opening hours for nearby health services. The Service Finder offers click-to-book appointments for GPs to make it easy for a user to immediately take the next step in managing their health.
The Service Finder can be used to find a nearby pharmacy or allied health professional, such as a physiotherapist or podiatrist, or a nearby COVID-19 testing clinic.
The healthdirect app includes an ‘Emergency’ section for quick connections to triple zero (including longitude and latitude to tell the operator), the nearest emergency department (with phone number and address), healthdirect helpline (1800 022 222), State Emergency Services, Poisons Information Hotline, Lifeline, and the National Relay Service.
I forgot to take my medication with me!
A healthdirect survey found that one in four Australians worry about their medication management while on holiday and one in five say they have left their medication at home.
The medicines section of the healthdirect app is written in plain language and provides information about more than 10,000 medicines, including what to do if a dose is missed. It included images and audio files of medications and alerts to assist with avoiding polypharmacy or pregnancy complications that may arise from prescribed medicines.
I’m in a different state or territory, what can or can’t I do?
For those venturing interstate the app also links to the healthdirect COVID-19 Restriction Checker. It provides up-to-date information about what people can and cannot do in every state and territory during COVID-19. Check the Restriction Checker for a COVIDSafe holiday wherever you are.
Last reviewed: December 2020