Rebate for Adolescent Health Trial (RAd Health Trial)

Led by CIs Jane Hocking and Lena Sanci, this cRCT will take place in Victoria. VicREN will recruit 50 general practices (clusters) that will be allocated to either: an intervention arm, where GPs will receive a rebate payment for each annual health assessment undertaken for 14–24-year-olds, or to a control arm, which will receive no rebate payments. The rebate will be based on the Medical Benefits Schedule currently available for similar age-based checks.

Primary outcome: the annual rate of risk behaviours, and health conditions (e.g. alcohol/drug use, sexual activity, mental health issues).

Secondary outcomes: the annual rate of patient management activities related to health risks and conditions identified (e.g. contraception prescribed, sexually transmitted infection tests ordered, mental health care plans initiated).

Process evaluation will assess fidelity, acceptability and harms of the rebate

Economic evaluation will assess its cost-effectiveness.

The CI team includes a number of Department of General Practice staff (Meredith Temple-Smith, Patty Chondros, Dougie Boyle, Grant Blashki & Caroline Johnson) as well as clinical experts in adolescent health from Victoria and NSW. Other department staff have been invaluable with advice and support: Angela Ouroumis, Ann-Maree Duncan, Anna Wood, Christine Chidgey and Bianca Forrester to name a few!

To date we have completed a number of focus groups (with GPs, practice managers, nurses and young people) to assist with informing training and resources for GPs and nurses, as well as other study tools. We are in the final stages of Ethics approval process. Watch this space as we launch!