The Consumers Health Forum says it's time for Australia to restore an "effective national preventive health program," saying in contrast to the burgeoning costs of healthcare it would be relatively inexpensive to improve population-wide awareness and action on healthy lifestyle.
CHF ceo Leanne Wells said the low level of health literacy among Australians is often overlooked, leading to "a failure to understand the ill effects of poor diet, failure to comprehend the necessity of taking the right medication, failure to seek counselling at times of mental strain, or worse, failure to seek any form of healthcare at all".
She said improving preventive health programs should be accompanied by strong primary healthcare arrangements, with GPs working with a team of healthcare providers to provide "wrap around" services, particularly for those with complex conditions.
"Better informed consumers will result in better health services," the CHF ceo said.
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