‘Empowering’ Healthy Habits program changing lives

From completely sedentary to adopting a movement regime, an RACGP program has proven successful in helping patients adopt a healthier lifestyle.
 
Launched in 2023, RACGP Healthy Habits is now being used by more than 730 Australian clinicians.
 
The free digital health program is designed to help GPs support their patients to make positive lifestyle choices.
 
Through an app, patients and GPs can work together to create nutrition, physical activity and sleep health goals, with practices then able to monitor patient progress through a shared clinician dashboard. 
 
Dr Tim O’Brien, a GP at the Sunnybank Hills Medical Centre in Queensland, has been using the program with several of his patients, and said it has already had a big impact on their lives and health.
 
‘I like it as a tool for motivating behavioural change, so you can start the conversation with the patient while they’re in your room and then you can work with the patient when they’re out of your room,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘It shows that the GP cares about a patient, that they understand the constraints of sporadic GP consults, and that they want to take the next step to help their patients achieve happiness and health.
 
‘Patients have been excited, and they like the idea that their GP is showing additional interest in them, and especially the younger patients have taken to the program like a fish to water.’
 
The program comes at a time when 80% of patients say they want their general practice team to talk to them about physical activity, nutrition and sleep health goals.
 
Through the Healthy Habits program, GPs and a patient’s whole primary healthcare team can encourage patients from afar, using the one-way messaging feature.
 
This creates greater opportunities for patients to connect and stay motivated to achieve their health goals.
 
It also means that GPs have access to more accurate information about a patient’s lifestyle, which then saves time during consultations and drives informed conversations.
 
Dr O’Brien said he believes programs like Healthy Habits are where the future of general practice is heading, as GPs embrace newer forms of technology into their practices.
 
‘The greatest market has been those who have been completely sedentary through a lack of information, or through their own upbringing, or not having the appropriate role models to show them the importance of physical exercise and healthy diet,’ he said.
 
‘It’s had the greatest impact on these patients because Healthy Habits empowered them to launch their health journey on a new platform.
 
‘It means that both parties win – the patient has convenience and the GP themselves can use technology outside of the actual consult room.’
 
Healthy Habits was designed for any Australian general practice and GPs can now register and start adding their own patients.
 
Additionally, practice teams can access CPD and clinical resources to strengthen their skills through the Healthy Habits resource hub.  
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

Healthy Habits lifestyle medicine