healthdirect Australia

healthdirect Australia FAQ

What is healthdirect Australia and what does it provide?

healthdirect Australia is your 24-hour health advice line and provides consistent and reliable health information and advice for all South Australians. It provides:

triage of medical problems, with advice on the most appropriate action to take and a recommended timeframe for seeking treatment
advice on self-care and symptom management
advice on the prevention of illness
general health information
information about the availability and location of services
specialised mental health service
referral connection to emergency services
a response to health emergencies such as disease outbreaks, drug recalls, natural disasters, terrorist incidents or other emergency situations.

Further information can be obtained by emailing info@nhccn.com.au

Who provides the healthdirect service?

Specially trained and experienced nurses provide health triage using a computerised clinical decision support system.

South Australia is part of the National Health Call Centre Network (NHCCN). The Australian Government and the Governments of ACT, NSW, NT, SA, Tasmania and WA jointly own and fund this network. healthdirect is the consumer brand of the NHCCN.

If you are located in South Australia and would like to order healthdirect Australia brochures or magnets please email: HealthDirect@health.sa.gov.au

If you are located outside of South Australia and would like to order healthdirect Australia brochures or magnets please email info@nhccn.com.au to submit your request.

How do the nurses get the information to accurately assess the call and provide appropriate advice?

healthdirect is supported by a computerised decision support system that uses clinical protocols. nurses assess the caller's symptoms over the phone with the aid of these clinical protocols.

Callers are advised of the recommended course of action. This can include self-care with the caller following health advice provided, referral to the most appropriate health service provider, speaking to a telephone GP at the after hours GP helpline, attendance at a hospital emergency department, or automatic ambulance call-out in urgent cases.

It is important to note that the nurses do not diagnose caller's conditions what they do is use the clinical protocols and their expertise to assess the urgency of the call and then advise the caller of the most appropriate action to take.

How medically sound and legally reliable are health call centre services?

healthdirect’s nurses are supported by a computerised clinical decision support system. This software is regularly reviewed and updated by clinicians, including doctors, to ensure information is accurate and clinically sound.

This type of software has been used in Australia and overseas for over 12 years. In South Australia healthdirect has received over 460,000 calls since services commenced in July 2007.

Will calls to the 000 number go through to healthdirect?

No. People calling 000 will continue to be connected to emergency services. Any emergency calls received by healthdirect are immediately transferred to 000 emergency health services. The emergency health services are also able to redirect non-urgent calls to healthdirect where appropriate.

Do callers have to provide their name and contact details to the nurse?

No, callers are not obliged to provide their names and contact details. However, all calls are recorded and documented and are kept secure and confidential for medico-legal reasons.

Does healthdirect contact the caller's GPs?

If your call is transferred to the after hours GP helpline and the GP decides that you need to see your usual GP the next day, the after hours GP helpline can send a record of your telephone consultation to your usual GP with your permission.

Are GPs involved in healthdirect?

Yes. Clinicians, including GPs, were involved in developing the computerised clinical decision support system and the protocols that are used by the nurses to triage calls.

If your call is transferred to the after hours GP helpline, you will talk to a GP who will assess your condition, make a diagnosis and provide medical advice.

Does the nurse ask if the caller has a regular GP?

If callers are assessed as needing to see a GP, they are asked if they have a regular GP. If the caller requests details of a new GP, the nurse will provide an appropriate GP contact.