With thousands of online resources on health, how do you know which ones to trust or which websites best address your needs? Whether you are grappling with a particular health issue or just looking to maximise your personal health potential, navigating the increasingly complex maze of modern health care can be a tedious and confusing process. Many of us turn to the internet in search of reliable information and tools to help us in our quest for better health yet are unsure how to pick from the array of choices we find there.

With this in mind, The Consumers Health Forum has developed #BeHealthAware – a portal to current and reliable online resources on health care in Australia. This web page acts as a gateway to a wide range of health information that will assist you to understand your personal health issues and treatment options and to consider your wellbeing now and into the future.

As we move into an era where consumers are taking on a greater role in influencing not only their own care, but also the wider health system, it is more important than ever that we are equipped with the right knowledge and tools that enable us to make informed health decisions. In addition to having the skills to find information and services, we also need to be able to process the meaning and usefulness of the information and services, make decisions on which ones to use and to understand the consequences of the choices we make.

Asking questions is always a great place to start, and the ‘What to ask your doctor’  section in #BeHealthAware offers a number of resources that will help you ask the right questions from your health care providers as well as communicate your needs and preferences. In ‘Being Well’ we encourage you to take charge of your own health by learning more about nutrition, exercise and lifestyle and how to optimise these areas in your life while ‘Patient guides’ links to various resources on specific illnesses and health conditions, such as heart or lung disease, diabetes and cancer.

Learning your rights as a health consumer enables you to better advocate for yourself and others, and the ‘Health complaints’ section on Be Health Aware links to information in this area, including how to make a complaint about a health practitioner. Understanding what you are entitled to under Australia’s Medicare scheme and if and why you may need Private Health Insurance is also key to making health care choices, and the portal provides several guides to explain how these systems work as well as what Health concessions you may be eligible for.

With the advent of My Health Record, a digital record system that enables you to keep an online summary of your key health information, Digital Health has become a crucial aspect of modern health care, and #BeHealthAware provides links to current government websites that deal with digital health in Australia.

Apart from these, #BeHealthAware also features sections on Mental Health, Oral Health, Indigenous Health, Disability services, Carers and Multicultural health services. The portal is based on the most current health information available and is regularly reviewed to make sure we are providing the best and most up-to-date information to assist you in making decisions about your health and health care.

If you have suggestions on what to include on #BeHealthAware or how we can improve we would love to hear from you at info@chf.org.au