Should Medicare fund a rebate for an adolescent and young person’s (15-24 years) health assessment in general practice?

Project Details

Adolescent health checks have demonstrated improved health outcomes, including detection of risky behaviour and physical and mental health conditions. Despite national guidelines recommending annual evidence-based health checks for young people, adolescents remain a neglected population. The implications for young people include undetected sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, and lack of management for mental health and other conditions. In Australia, lack of consultation time has been reported as a major barrier for general practitioners to undertake regular young person’s checks.

A Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) rebated health assessment, similar to that offered for 45-49 and 75+ year old and Aboriginal Health Checks, could facilitate these assessments. Enabling a longer, remunerated consultation for adolescents and young people could lead to improved health outcomes in the short-term and into adulthood. This trial will provide the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence of whether a rebate for a young person’s health assessment is effective and cost-effective.

Researchers

• Prof Jane Hocking, Professor, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
• Prof Lena Sanci, Head of Department of General Practice and Primary Care
• A/Prof Patty Chondros, Biostatistician in Primary Care
• Professor Meredith Temple-Smith, Professor, General Practice
• Professor Douglas Boyle, Professor, Clinical Data Analytics
• Dr Caroline Johnson, Academic Specialist - Primary Care (Medical Edn)
• A/Prof Grant Blashki, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health
• Dr Cathy Watson, Research Fellow - Project Manager, Melbourne School of Population & Global Health

Collaborators

Wellbeing Health & Youth (WH&Y) Commission

Victorian primary care practice-based Research and Education Network (VicREN)

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council (1184842), 2020 – 2024

Research Outcomes

RAd Health is a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) investigating whether a Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) rebate is effective at increasing the detection and management of risk behaviours and health conditions and is cost-effective. This will provide evidence to inform MBS rebate decision making.