How e-Health Can Improve Men's Health, Australia

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Men's health
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 07 Nov 2010 - 0:00 PST


Currently five men die every hour in Australia from potentially preventable illnesses, which are not detected early enough, yet despite this staggering number, men are still reluctant to go and see a GP.

Dr Ronald McCoy, a board member of a men's health program, The M5 Project, developed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), is hoping that new e-health systems may help to detect preventable illnesses earlier and ultimately lead to better health outcomes for men.

"Men face a higher death rate than women when it comes to cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, respiratory disease and mental health problems including suicide and accidents. Many of these conditions are preventable. Men tend to present later with health problems, visit the GP less frequently and when they do, they have shorter consultations and are less likely to come in for preventative health checks.

"With one electronic record, we can build a comprehensive medical history for a patient that can be accessed by any GP. This means that no matter where they seek medical help, the GP can see how long it was since the patient had a cholesterol check, monitor their blood pressure and talk to the patient about any significant lifestyle changes.

"This is hugely significant in dealing with men's health and well-being and it will also eliminate the need to duplicate tests and procedures, reducing the time men need to spend at a medical clinic, which is a huge factor why men stay away in the first place.

"E-health makes pro-active preventive health measures easier, which will improve treatment outcomes significantly. Electronic records give us a huge advantage and with other electronic systems, could lead to the biggest gain in men's health we have seen yet," said Dr McCoy.

The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) is the lead organisation supporting the national vision for e-health in Australia and to ensure that GPs can deliver the highest stan dard of care to their patients, the RACGP is working with NEHTA on what is reasonable, workable and useful for GPs in the area of e-health.

The RACGP recently launched a new online health tool, M5 HEALTH ONLINE, which allows men to carry out a personalised health check, followed by access to no nonsense, practical advice on where to go and what to do if their lifestyle changes.

Source: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

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