Health assessment for People Aged 45 to 49 years who are at risk of developing chronic disease (Formerly known as MBS Item 717)
The 45 to 49 (inclusive) year old health assessment is part of the Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) announced by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in February 2006. ABHI aims to enhance the capacity of the health system to promote good health and reduce the burden of chronic disease.

A health assessment at this stage of life can assist patients to make the necessary lifestyle changes to prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease.

Patient Eligibility and Consent
Eligible patients must be aged 45 to 49 years (inclusive) who are at risk of developing a chronic disease. The decision that a patient is at risk of developing a chronic disease is a clinical judgement made by the GP. However, at least one risk factor must be identified. Factors that the GP may consider include, but are not limited to:

• Lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, physical inactivity, poor nutrition or alcohol misuse;
• Biomedical risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, impaired glucose metabolism or excess weight; and
• Family history of a chronic disease.

• Information collection, including taking a patient’s history and undertaking relevant examinations and investigations as clinically required;
• Making an overall assessment of the patient’s health, including the patient’s readiness to make lifestyle changes;
• Initiating interventions, referrals as clinically indicated; and
• Providing advice and information to the patient including strategies to achieve lifestyle and behaviour changes (e.g. Lifescripts resources)