Be Health Aware
Understanding our own health and how to access the care we need - our health literacy - is now more important than ever. Advances in modern medicine and knowledge about what care best suits each of us is flourishing, increasing the options we face.
Be Health Aware is a portal to evidence-based information and resources that act as a guide to the health care choices we need to make, whether in relation to a particular disease, treatment, service or policy.
The Consumers Health Forum has developed Be Health Aware as part of our advocacy of health literacy as a central element of consumer-centred health care. Evidence shows best health outcomes significantly rely on an informed and engaged patient and consumer.
Welcome to Be Health Aware - if you have ideas of resources to include on this page we would love to hear from you.
What is health literacy?
According to the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC), health literacy is about how people understand information about health and health care, and how they apply that information to their lives.
To learn more about health literacy visit the ACSQHC website.
Free health literacy course - Introduction to the language of healthcare
- Information about coronavirus
- What to ask your Doctor
- Being Well
- Health Complaints
- Patient Guides
- Medicines and medical devices
- Digital Health
- Private Health Insurance
- Medicare
- Health Concessions
- Oral Health
- Mental Health
- Indigenous Health
- Disability Services
- Carers
- Finding a Health Service
- Hotlines
- Consumer Centred Care
- Multicultural Health and Support
- Research
- Interpreting Services
Information on Coronavirus
The newly identified disease, Covid-19, is highly contagious and potentially can cause the death of many more people than are affected by influenza. People who are elderly, or who already have a compromised immune system or respiratory illnesses, are particularly at risk.
Controlling the spread of the virus is the primary concern for health authorities, while medical scientists investigate its risk and look for ways to control it.
As a part of the increased services by the Australian Government to the pandemic Healthdirect Australia is delivering the new National Coronavirus Helpline (1800 020 080), a dedicated service, scaled to meet the volume of calls and assess symptomatic callers.
Healthdirect website
Finding information online
- We are encouraging people to go online to healthdirect.gov.au/coronavirus to find the information you need and relieve the demand on the helplines. The website is regularly updated from government sources to provide timely and accurate consumer-friendly advice and information.
- The healthdirect Symptom Checker online self-guided tool is available on our website and has been updated to identify people experiencing COVID-19-specific symptoms and provide advice on what they should do next, such as calling ahead before a visit to a GP or emergency department.
- The Service Finder will list the COVID-19 respiratory centres as they are established. A widget is available to embed on your website.
- The healthdirect app includes all of the above in one place.
CHF emphasises that the Chief Medical Officer and Department of Health are monitoring the outbreak closely and publish new information as it comes to hand on the Department's website. This includes resources and information for health workers. CHF recommends this is the best and most current source of information about the virus and containment on Covid-19.
- Information about your health - Healthdirect Australia
- Information about Coronavirus - Australian Department of Health
- Information for the health sector - Australian Department of Health
- Coronavirus disease - World Health Organisation
- Making sense of Covid-19 - information for HIV and LGBTIQ communities on COVID-19 (AFAO)
- Everything you need to know about coronavirus COVID-19 - ABC (March 4)
- Stay up-to-date about Coronavirus - ABC Coronavirus hub
- Podcast - Chronocast - podcast by Dr Norman Swan
Medicine and medical devices
Learn more about your medicines, medical devices, and where to go if you are having issues with them.
General consumer information about medicines/devices
Report adverse events or side effects of medicines/devices
Safely and effectively use your prescription or OTC medicine
What is the Black Triangle Scheme
What does my medicine’s label mean?
Buying medicines or medical devices online
Private Health Insurance
Do you need Private Health Insurance? With so many policies to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? On 1 April 2019, private health insurance begins the most extensive changes in recent years. Learn more about how it works, compare policies and understand your options.
Medicare
Learn more about Medicare, the scheme that gives Australian residents access to healthcare. You can access your Medicare account through myGov, a system that allows you to securely access multiple government services with one login.
Carers
Carers are those who provide care and support to a family member or friend with a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged. If you are a Carer, it is important that you also take care of your own health and wellbeing.
Hotlines
Whether you have a health enquiry or are looking for support during difficult times, there are many free hotlines that provide information, referrals and advice for a range of situations.
healthdirect 1800 022 222 - Non-urgent 24/7 health advice
Medicine line 1300 MEDICINE (1300 633 424) - Information on prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medicines.
Cancer council 131120 - Confidential information & support on cancer-related issues
Strokeline 1800 787 653 - Information and advice on stroke prevention, treatment and recovery
Lifeline 13 11 14 - 24/7 crisis support
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 - 24/7 support & advice from a trained mental health professional
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 - 24/7 support for kids, teens & young adults
QLife 1800 184 527 - Anonymous LGBTI peer support and referral
Do you need an interpreter to help with a medical emergency or inquiry?
Always call 000 directly if you need to contact emergency Ambulance, Police or Fire services. The 000 emergency services line will call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) and connect you with an interpreter using a priority line 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
TIS National can help communications with: medical and health practitioners, pharmacists and emergency services. It provides interpreting services to people who do not speak English and to agencies and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients. These services enable non-English speakers to independently access services and information in Australia.
TIS National can call on 3000 interpreters across Australia in more than 160 different languages. Non-English speakers can access immediate telephone interpreters through TIS National by calling 131 450.
Alternatively, if you contact an organisation directly it may organise an interpreter on your behalf.