Receptionist's guide to the Heart Health Check

A Heart Health Check is a 20-minute assessment of a patient’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next five years.

Many people may not be aware of their risk factors for heart attack or stroke. Some risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be silent.

A Heart Health Check helps patients to understand their risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 5 years. They will be guided by their GP or nurse to take the first steps to lowering their risk.

During a Heart Health Check, a GP or nurse will:

• review and update medical and family history
• check blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• discuss lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise
• calculate a risk score
• develop a management plan to lower risk, which may include medication and referrals.

Risk factors of heart disease can be classified as modifiable and non-modifiable. GPs will generally focus on modifiable risk factors when providing patients with advice on how to lower their risk.

Non-modifiable risk factors are those that cannot be changed, such as:

• age
• gender
• ethnicity
• family history of heart disease.

Modifiable risk factors are those that can be changed:

• poor diet
• lack of physical activity
• smoking
• alcohol consumption
• unhealthy weight
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol.

A patient is eligible if they meet all these criteria:

• adults 45 years or over, or 30 or over for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoplesa
• adults aged 35 and over who are living with diabetes
• no known cardiovascular disease (CVD)
• have not had a health assessment in the last 12 months.

Patients not eligible for a Heart Health Check should still be encouraged to discuss their heart health with their GP.

The assessment will take at least 20 minutes.

Like other health assessments, the Heart Health Check is covered under Medicare and there will be no out-of-pocket expenses at practices which bulk bill this service.

Patients may need a blood test before their Heart Health Check. If a pathology request form is provided, the test will need to occur at the pathology provider at least five days prior to the check.  

Information on Heart Health Checks as well as resources on how to maintain heart health can be found on the Heart Foundation website.

1. National Heart Foundation of Australia. Are you at risk of heart disease? Accessed 9 Jan 2024. https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/are-you-at-risk-of-heart-disease

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