Menzies School of Health researchers receive Australian Journal of Primary Health Prize

Menzies School of Health researchers Paul Burgess, Ross Bailie, Richard Chenhall and Christine Connors have been awarded the Australian Journal of Primary Health Prize for best paper at the National Primary Health Care Research Conference held recently in Darwin.

The Menzies researchers were recognised for their paper titled: The contribution of the Adult Health Check to preventive care in a remote Aboriginal primary care service.

The researchers examined the impact of the Australian Government’s new health check item on health outcomes in a challenging health care environment – a remote Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land.

The study found that systematic delivery of Adult Health Check significantly improved preventive health care for Aboriginal Australians in the remote community participating in the study.

Dr Burgess, who led the Menzies School of Health Research project, said “approximately 80% of the chronic health issues identified in the study were newly detected during the Adult Health Check.”

“Other improvements to preventive heath care, compared with previous care, included (i) a more than four fold increase in counselling for healthy lifestyles, (ii) a nine fold increase in adult vaccinations and (iii) a six fold increase in care planning for chronic disease care.” Dr Burgess said.

The study shows that a simple intervention, such as having an Adult Health Check, can make a significant contribution towards closing the health gap for Indigenous Australians.

The Adult Health Check is a key part of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) campaign to ‘Close the Gap’ in health outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

ENDS

Media Contact: Victoria Close, Communications Officer
T: 08 89435039 |M: 0447 275 415| email: victoria.close@menzies.edu.au |