Your health. Your life. Your landscape.
Resources to help you understand your health, prepare for care and work on the things that matter to you.
Registered patients can sign in to access the full Patient Resources library. Resources marked PUBLIC are available to everyone.
I have something to do
I want to work on something
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I want to start with the basics
I want to understand something
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THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS
Start with the basics.
Four everyday foundations that shape how we feel, function and stay well.
A useful place to start — and often worth coming back to.
Understand food, nourishment and what your body needs — without turning eating into another thing to perfect.
TRUST & HEALTHCARE
What happens when you stop expecting healthcare to listen?
It is easy to feel lost in the healthcare system. Feeling dismissed, disbelieved or misunderstood can change the way someone approaches healthcare long after the original experience.
Trust can be lost. It can also be rebuilt.
UNDERSTAND SOMETHING
Clear explanations when you need them.
Health information can be difficult to make sense of. These resources are here to help you understand some of the things we may discuss as part of your care.
They provide general information rather than individual medical advice. If something raises questions about your own health or treatment, bring it to an appointment so we can consider it in the context of you.
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What a diagnosis means and the questions worth asking.
Purpose, fit and the questions worth asking about your medicines.
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When flexibility affects health.
Understanding and managing persistent pain.
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A careful assessment starts with the whole story.
SERVICE & EXPERIENCE
Veterans & DVA
If you have served in the ADF, these resources bring together information about veteran-aware healthcare, DVA care and the practical aspects of navigating your care.
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CURIOSITY & EVIDENCE
How much confidence does an idea deserve?
Health information is everywhere. Some ideas are well established, some are still emerging, and some deserve a closer look.
This resource is about staying curious, asking good questions and following a claim back to the evidence — without losing sight of your own experience.
You don’t have to choose between curiosity and evidence. We need both.
A MOMENT TO PAUSE
When did you last actually stop?
Pause. Notice what matters.
Life can become very good at keeping us moving. Sometimes it helps to stop long enough to notice what matters, what feels out of balance, and what you would like to be different.
From there, the question becomes what to do next. These resources can help you find a direction, turn an intention into something that works in real life, and keep adjusting as life changes.
These are not steps you have to complete in order. Start wherever feels useful.
01 — WORK OUT WHAT MATTERS
Find your direction.
Step back from the immediate problem and look at the bigger landscape. What matters? What deserves attention? What would you like to be different?
02 — MAKE IT POSSIBLE
Turn intention into something workable.
A good goal still has to survive real life. Make it specific, break it down and design the next steps around the life you actually live.
Make It Doable →
Action Ladder →
03 — KEEP MOVING FORWARD
Notice, learn and adjust.
Progress is rarely a straight line. Build confidence, notice what is changing and use what happens to decide what comes next.
Your health is yours to navigate. My role is to help you find your way.
You're already doing a lot right.Â
Being well doesn’t mean there is nothing to check.
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You may exercise, eat well, sleep well and feel fantastic. Preventive care is about protecting what is already working — and noticing the quieter risks that do not necessarily cause symptoms.
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What is worth checking depends on your age, history, family history, medicines, lifestyle and individual risks.
PREVENTIVE CARE
What is still worth checking?
Preventive care is not the same for everyone. What is worth checking depends on your age, history, family history, medicines, lifestyle and individual risks.
BLOOD PRESSURE & HEART HEALTH
Periodically even when you feel well, and more often if your age or health risks make this important.
BLOOD TESTS
When your age, medical history, medicines, family history or other risks give us a reason to check. Routine annual blood tests are not necessary for everybody.
SKIN
If you notice a new or changing spot, have had significant sun exposure, or have other skin-cancer risks. We can also discuss whether regular skin checks are appropriate for you.
CERVICAL SCREENING
If you are eligible, keep your cervical screening up to date. The usual Australian screening interval is every five years from age 25 to 74.
BOWEL SCREENING
From age 45 for eligible Australians, with the appropriate screening interval depending on your circumstances and screening method.
BREAST SCREENING
Routine population screening is generally offered every two years from age 50 to 74. Some people need earlier or different screening because of their individual or family history.
VACCINATIONS
Review from time to time, and whenever age, health, pregnancy, work or travel changes what is recommended.
SEXUAL HEALTH & STI SCREENING
Worth considering with a new partner, a change in risk, symptoms or a possible exposure. Some people benefit from regular screening even without symptoms.
FAMILY HISTORY
Revisit when you learn something new about your family — particularly cancer, heart disease or other significant inherited risks.
WHAT IS SPECIFIC TO YOU
Your own health history, medicines, work, lifestyle and risks may mean something deserves attention earlier.
Feeling well is a good reason to protect what is working.
The resources linked from this page are provided to support conversations and care with my patients. They are not a substitute for individual medical advice.
These resources have been developed by Dr Heidi McKenzie for the personal use of her patients. They are protected by copyright and should not be reproduced, distributed or used for commercial or educational purposes without permission.
WHERE NEXT?