General Health Information

Key Indexing Terms: Health information, health needs, patient education, health promotion Both health education programs and primary care consultations are important formal sources of information upon which Australians can base lifestyle choices. Lifestyle choices have a significant impact on the conditions most feared by and most likely to kill Australians (1). Cancer, AIDS and ischaemic heart disease are the diseases most feared by Australians (1). Ischaemic heart disease, cancer and cerebro-vascular accidents are amongst the four leading causes of death in Australia (2). A substantial number of deaths in Australia are also drug related (25,397 in 1987). Seventy-one percent (71%) of these were due to tobacco and 26% to alcohol (3).