Trends in uptake of the 75+ health assessment in Australia: a decade of evaluation

Abstract

In Australia, older adults aged 75+ years are encouraged to avail themselves of the comprehensive 75+ health assessment (75+ HA) to identify medical conditions and highlight potential risk factors for poor health. However, uptake of this item has been reported to be low. This study aimed to identify the uptake of the 75+ HA within regional areas of New South Wales and compare this against state and national trends over an 11-year period. Data on uptake of the 75+ HA for item numbers 700 and 702, from 1999 until 2010, were obtained from the Medicare Australia portal and Department of Health and Ageing databases. Trends over time were collated and compared at the regional, state and national level. The study found that an increasing number of the 75+ HAs were performed from 1999 to 2009. Overall, the uptake of the 75+ HA is generally low across Australia, at ~20% of the eligible population, but varied across states and even regions within states. The study also revealed that despite low uptake encouraging trends were evident over a decade of 75+ HA implementation. It is argued that strategies in improving the uptake should be targeted for early identification of health risk and overall improved quality of health in older adults. KeywordsGeneral practice, older adults, primary health care, primary prevention . Overall, the uptake of the 75+ HA was generally low across Australia, at ~20% of the eligible population, but varied across states and even regions within states. The study also revealed that despite low uptake encouraging trends were evident over a decade of 75+ HA implementation. It is argued that strategies in improving the uptake should be targeted for early identification of health risk and overall improved quality of health in older adults.

General practitioners’ perceptions, attitudes and experiences of frailty and frailty screening

“…As one GP observed: However, there was no consensus regarding when universal screening should start, with the broad age range proposed being 50-75 years. Participants proposing the age of 75 years generally rationalised this by linking it to the 75+ health assessment (a free annual health check), 44 but others thought that this was too late. Some GPs felt that targeted screening in the sense of case-finding for patients who were already frail might also prove useful.…”

Expanding the breadth of Medicare: learning from Australia

“…These initiatives have rarely been evaluated in terms of their impact on outcomes, with evaluations often simply focussing on process measures such as provider acceptability (Blakeman et al, 2001;Harris et al, 2002;Zwar et al, 2005;Rhee et al, 2012), uptake (Price et al, 2002;Wilkinson et al, 2002a;Wilkinson et al, 2002bWilkinson et al, , 2003Hamirudin et al, 2015) and impact on allied health services (Cant and Aroni, 2007;Foster et al, 2008;Menz, 2009;Haines et al, 2010). The few outcome evaluations have been mildly positive, showing that the introduction of the Enhanced Primary Care items was associated with improved diabetes care ; that a 45+ health check was associated with change in patient exercise patterns but not clinical measures (Amoroso et al, 2009); and that a falls prevention programme funded through use of the chronic disease management items reduced falls (Mackenzie and Clemson, 2014).…”

Addressing the Needs of an Aging Population in the Health System: The Australian Case

“…Moreover, data for up to 2008-9 show that the 75-84 age group made greater use of the assessments than the 85C age group and that women in the latter age group made greater use than men. 33 The most disadvantaged populations have similar or higher levels of uptake of the extended primary care services in total (which include both chronic disease management plan services and the health assessments). 34 Overall though, only about one-fifth of the eligible population has received a health assessment.…”