Work it Out! is a chronic disease self-management program that aims to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians through addressing chronic disease.

The group program adopts a holistic view of Indigenous health and utilises an inter-professional health partnership approach to aid in chronic disease self-management in south-eastern Queensland.

The aims of the program are to:

• Improve participant's quality of life
• Increase participant's confidence and ability to cope
• Improve participant's fitness
• Provide a better understanding of how to live a healthy and active life.

The 12 week program includes two to four sessions each week, which usually involve an hour of exercise and a 45 minute education session. Each participant's exercise program is individually tailored to them by an exercise physiologist and delivered within a supportive group session. Topics covered in the education sessions include:

• How the body works
• What chronic disease is
• The importance of physical activity
• Medication use
• Stress management and relaxation techniques
• Ways to save energy and
• Nutrition and how to cook easy meals.

The aim of this MBS health assessment item is to help ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive primary health care matched to their needs, by encouraging early detection, diagnosis and intervention for common and treatable conditions that cause morbidity and early mortality.

For the purpose of this item, a person is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person if they, or their parent or carer, identify them as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

The MBS health assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people covers the full age spectrum, and should be used for health assessments for the following age groups:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are less than 15 years old
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults who are aged fifteen years and over but under the age of 55 years
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older people who are aged 55 years and over

Components of the Health Assessment

The health assessment includes an assessment of the patient’s health, including their physical, psychological and social wellbeing. It also assesses what preventive health care, education and other assistance should be offered to the patient to improve their health and wellbeing. It complements existing services already undertaken by a range of health care providers. This health assessment must include:

• information collection, including taking a patient history and undertaking examinations and investigations as required;
• making an overall assessment of the patient;
• recommending appropriate interventions;
• providing advice and information to the patient;
• keeping a record of the health assessment, and offering the patient a written report about the health assessment, with recommendations about matters covered by the health assessment; and
• offering the patient’s carer (if any, and if the medical practitioner considers it appropriate and the patient agrees) a copy of the report or extracts of the report relevant to the carer.

As part of a health assessment, a medical practitioner may develop a simple strategy for the good health of the patient. The strategy should identify any services the patient needs and the actions the patient, or parent or carer, should take. It should be developed in collaboration with the patient, or parent or carer, and documented in the written report on the assessment that is offered to the patient, and/or patient’s carer