New online risk checker addresses three top preventable diseases

In support of the Australian Government's commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Australians through preventive health measures, Healthdirect Australia has launched the healthdirect Risk Checker for three key preventable disease areas.

Developed in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health and available across the government-funded healthdirect website, the free, user-friendly online tool helps users determine their level of risk for heart disease, kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.

The healthdirect service is designed to give people access to health information that is easy to understand, safe and reliable.

Karen Borg, CEO for Healthdirect Australia says, "Half of Australians live with at least one chronic condition, but understanding our risk of chronic illness is particularly complex. Additionally, people don't always know what to do to get help or the right information.

"By helping people understand their likelihood of developing disease, they can make informed choices about how to access care and lead a healthier life," says Ms Borg.

Supporting preventive health

The healthdirect Risk Checker goes further than most online risk checking tools, providing a personalised summary and report. The report guides users through the lifestyle changes that can reduce their risk of developing these diseases. Users are also prompted to visit their GP if needed.

Professor Ruth Webster, Global Head of Medicine, The George Institute for Global Health, said, "Many people are not aware that they are at risk of developing serious conditions such as heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. In extreme cases, people may already have one of these conditions without knowing.

"However, there are many ways everyday Australians can reduce their risk. This tool provides an easy-to-use first step to help someone know if they are at risk and prompt them to speak with their GP if needed. Better management of the risk factors is proven to reduce the risk of a serious health event," she says.

A clinically robust and safe risk calculator

The Risk Checker allows users to enter information about themselves, including medical history, blood tests and medications they take. They also answer a series of questions covering areas of lifestyle and diet and provides a personalised risk estimate for their risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.

The user receives a low, medium or high risk score for all three diseases, a percentage indicator of their probability of develop each disease over the next five years along with a comparative prevalence of risk in the wider Australian population.

The healthdirect Risk Checker test and results follow an algorithm developed by The George Institute for Global Health and uses current Australian guidelines for each health area. It adheres to Healthdirect Australia's strict Clinical Governance Framework for health and safety.

The risk calculation for heart disease is based on the Framingham risk equation, which has been adapted for the Australian population.

The risk calculation for kidney disease is based on the Kidney Health Australia’s Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment (KHA-CARI) Guidelines.

The risk calculation for type 2 diabetes is based on the Australian Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool, which was developed by the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute on behalf of the Australian state and territory governments.

No contact details or identifiable data is collected during the test. Data is provided to George Health Technologies for research purposes only.

healthdirect Risk Checker joins a suite of digital tools developed by Healthdirect Australia, including Question Builder and healthdirect Symptom Checker.

The test is available via the front page of the healthdirect website and contextually via health pages relating to heart, kidney and type 2 diabetes. Take the test here.