A free government-funded mobile application has been developed to offer Australians clinically sound and locally appropriate information to help them make safe and quick health decisions.

Healthdirect Australia launched the app in response to the high number of health-related Internet searches carried out in the country. According to Healthdirect, close to 40 percent of Australians go online to search for health information for self-treatment. However, 77 percent of these online visits land on off-shore health and medical information websites.

Since not all general practicioners (GPs) are able to provide advice to patients through websites or social media, the new health service tool features qualified information to help Australians make informed choices about their health concerns.

The mobile app combines three trusted tools which patients can use to check their symptoms, search for trusted health information and find a health service at the touch of a button. There is no other Australian app that offers this unique combination of tools, according to Healthdirect.

With the symptom checker, users will be guided through a set of questions to help them better understand their symptoms and receive personalised advice on what to do next, whether it's self-care, see a GP or visit another health service.

The app will also give patients access to the National Health Services Directory so they can find the closest health service that meets their needs as well as directions to reach it. Patients can receive details about local health services such as opening hours as well as after-hours availability. During emergency situations, the app can also be used since it can display latitude and longitude coordinates, which patients can relay to emergency service operators.

All information in the health app is sourced from Australia’s leading health organisations and has undergone a quality assurance process, so people can be assured it is safe, appropriate and relevant for Australians.

“Our new app provides that advice to people right in their pocket or purse. It has undergone a strict quality assurance process so people can be confident the information is safe, appropriate and relevant,” Healthdirect Australia general manager digital services Anton Donker said in an interview with Australian Ageing Agenda.

Donker explained that the decision to invest in a mobile app was made easy by the increasing number of Australians moving to mobile as their preferred communication platform. It’s a natural evolution to their service since HealthDirect’s core role is to help people manage their own health through use of innovative technology, he said.

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