Health News

Are you after some handy tips to help you lead a healthier life? Let’s dive into the importance of healthy eating and explore how it can benefit your overall well-being. From boosting energy levels to reducing the risk of chronic diseases, eating the right foods is vital for maintaining optimal health.

The Basics of a Balanced Diet:

A balanced diet provides your body with the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to function optimally. Include a variety of different food groups such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, sources of protein, and healthy fats. This helps give your body the nutrients it requires. Here is a quick overview of foods included in these food groups:

Lean sources of protein:

  • Chicken breast
  • Salmon
  • Egg
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Lentils
  • Tofu
  • Pork

Healthy Fats:

  • Olive Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Avocado
  • Fish
  • Nuts/Legumes

Wholegrains

  • Oats
  • Barley
  • Buckwheat
  • Bulgar
  • Quinoa
  • Brown Rice
  • Amaranth
  • Wholegrain Bread

Reducing Added Sugar:

Excess sugar intake can have a detrimental effect on your health. It can lead to weight gain, contribute to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, and impact your dental health. Foods that are marketed as ‘health foods’ at the supermarket often have hidden sources of added sugar.
By making simple swaps, such as replacing soft drinks with sparkling water or herbal teas, and opting for whole fruits instead of sugary snacks, you can better manage your sugar intake while still enjoying the flavours you love. Small changes can lead to significant improvements in your overall health. You can still enjoy small amounts in moderation.

The Importance of Portion Control:

Maintaining a healthy weight is an essential aspect of well-being. Portion control plays a vital role in achieving and sustaining a healthy weight. By understanding portion sizes and recommended servings from different food groups, you can make informed choices and prevent overeating. incorporating mindful eating practices, such as taking the time to chew thoroughly and savouring your food, can contribute to better digestion and a more satisfying eating experience.

Planning and Preparing Healthy Meals:

One of the common challenges with healthy eating is finding the time and inspiration to prepare nutritious meals. Planning and preparing meals in advance can help you make healthier choices and avoid the temptation of fast food or unhealthy snacks. Cooking meals in bulk and freezing meal portions is a great way to always have a healthy meal on hand. Some other ideas to help save time: pre-cut vegetables, pre seasoned meats, or subscribe to a healthy meal service.

Conclusion:

By taking steps to incorporate healthy eating habits into your life, you’re investing in your overall well-being. Even small changes can make a big difference in your journey towards better health. If you need some extra support of guidance with your diet, The providers at Robina Town Medical Centre are here to help. We believe in empowering you to make informed choices for your health.

Continuity of care with a regular doctor

If you’re visiting a new doctor for the first time, are you planning to maintain continuity with them when it comes to your healthcare?

As it turns out, having a regular GP is more important than you might think. The benefits of having a regular doctor include better access to care and better outcomes in general. But how do you get that regular doctor? And what exactly does “continuity” mean? In this post we’ll explore what continuity of care means, why it’s so important for people’s health outcomes and how they can get it.

What is continuity of care?

Continuity of care means seeing the same doctor for all your health needs.

We believe that if patients saw the same doctor, the effectiveness of the consultation would improve. The evidence indicates that continuity of care is of great benefit for both patients and doctors.

Why having a regular GP is better for your health outcomes

Doctors working in a busy clinic frequently encounter new patients, and within a very limited time must get familiar with their medical history, establish trust, and address their present concerns.

A regular doctor is more likely to know or at least very quickly understand your medical history, so they can provide better, more comprehensive care. They are also more likely to offer you preventive care and be aware of contributing factors to your health that may not be immediately apparent at the time of your visit.

How do I get continuity of care?

To get continuity of care, you can book in with your regular doctor when you need an appointment, or if they’re away or fully booked, book with a GP in the same practice. That way, your treating doctor has access to all relevant information about your care history, for example allergies, chronic health conditions and medications, and you can get the most out of your appointment.

The best way to maintain continuity is to choose a regular doctor

Finding a regular doctor who you feel comfortable with, who understands your needs and who is willing to take on new patients, can be difficult but it’s worth the effort.

Visit your regular doctor whenever possible when sick or injured to allow them to catch potential problems early on and ensure continuity between visits.

If you do not have a regular doctor and would like one, ask at Reception for help finding a GP who has availability and suits your needs and stage of life.

Continuity of care is becoming more scarce in the fast-paced world of modern medicine. At Robina Town Medical Centre, we are committed to changing this trend. Despite being a large clinic, we uphold the traditional values of patient care within a team-based approach so your family doctor can help improve the health and wellness of you and your family.

Do you often visit different health care providers? Have a chronic health condition? Frequently travel interstate?

Perhaps you or someone in your family could benefit from a My Health Record.

What is a My Health Record?

A My Health Record is an online record of all your health information in one central, secure place.

What this means is that all of your healthcare providers such as your family GP, other doctors, hospital staff and specialists, can access, upload and share vital information about your healthcare.

This enables all of your healthcare providers to give you the best care possible for your unique situation.

Why have a My Health Record?

A My Health Record is a great option for parents to help keep track of their children’s health history (up to the age of 14).

It’s also a big time saver for patients with complex health care needs.

Health providers can access information from one central place, and every provider is able to access up-to-date information regarding current conditions, care plans, test results and treatments.

Log in to your myGov account to view your record and you can:

  • Add personal notes about your allergies and allergic reactions, an advance care plan or custodian details
  • Set access controls to restrict who can and can’t see your health information
  • Review your own health information, and see the information your healthcare providers can see
  • Set up SMS or email notifications so you know when a healthcare provider first accesses your record.

Healthcare providers will be able to access details whether you are interstate, in a medical emergency or simply changing doctors.

You can opt out at any point.

Who has a My Health Record?

Every Australian citizen automatically has a shared record, although once they turn the age of 14, patients automatically have a private shared record.

Who can upload to your My Health Record?

Your GP and other health providers can upload information to your shared record and this can be viewed by you securely online, from anywhere, at any time – even if you move or travel interstate. You can access your health information from any computer or device that’s connected to the internet.

Who can see what?

You can decide. The Shared Record is not designed to replace clinical information held at your General practice or with other health care providers – it is a summary only.

The type of information that is stored on a My Health Record includes:

  • Current medications
  • Medical conditions
  • Allergies
  • Vaccinations
  • Test results
  • Medicare claims
  • Organ donation

Test Results:

If you have a pathology or radiology test and don’t wish for the results to be uploaded please INFORM your GP as the test is being written. They need to tick a box which stops the pathology\radiology provider automatically uploading the results.

When might an upload to your account occur?

This should be guided by how necessary the information is to support clinical decision-making.

Will the information be of benefit to other healthcare providers, and therefore yourself in the future?

If you are taken to hospital and cannot talk, what would be beneficial for a doctor or specialist to know?

It is worth knowing not every interaction with your GP leads to your shared summary being updated. You may wish to ask for the GP or other health care provider to specifically do an upload.

There is no obligation for them to upload information for every encounter but it is important both parties recognise instances when it will be particularly beneficial.

Up to date information

It is important you keep your information up to date because the most recently uploaded information is likely to be the first accessed by any other healthcare professional viewing your My Health Record.

This is especially important if you visit more than one GP. Any changes to medication, allergies, diagnosed medical conditions or other important changes to your health care requirements, should be passed on to your GP so they can update your clinical file and then your shared record.

Are there privacy issues?

Strict regulations govern who can view your My Health Record. You can choose to control the information that is shared in your My Health Record and you will also be able to see who has accessed your record.

You can cancel your My Health Record at any time

Once your Record is created, you can choose to cancel your My Health Record and permanently delete your information from the system, at any time.

This does not impact medical records held at our practice, or any other practice.

Is a patient’s consent required to upload a Shared Health Summary?

To create a shared health summary, the healthcare provider (our practice) will need to obtain your agreement that:

  • the healthcare provider is to be the individual’s Nominated Healthcare Provider;
  • the healthcare provider is to create a shared health summary for the patient.

How to get a My Health Record

You’ll first need to create a myGov account if you don’t already have one.

A myGov account allows you to securely access services from government agencies such as Medicare, Centrelink and the Australian Tax Office.

myGov is also where you access your My Health Record.

You’ll then need to verify your identity. Here’s what you’ll need on hand:

  • Your myGov account login
  • An email address that belongs to you
  • Medicare Card
  • The BSB and bank account number you currently use for Medicare
  • Your address as recorded by Medicare
  • Information about your last doctor’s visit

Further information and FAQs

You can find My Health Record information packs at all general practices and medical centres, containing updates which may assist in providing information for patients on the strengthened privacy protections.

Following is a link to additional information in the form of FAQs for patients:

https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/for-you-your-family/howtos/frequently-asked-questions

What next?

Once your myGov account and My Health Record account are set up, there’s a final step to complete the process:

When you next visit your GP, ask your GP to put your health information into your My Health Record.

You can agree on which records can be shared to your My Health Record, and which records you would prefer to remain on our practice files only.

We look forward to helping you setup your My Health Record. Simplifying the management of your healthcare for you and all of your healthcare providers is a positive step towards better health.

For further information, go to https://myhealthrecord.gov.au.

You can also speak with our friendly Reception team on 07 5578 9000.