Integrated health
Doctor-led care for long-term health.
Consultations with Dr Julie O'Connell (MED0000939741), Medical Practitioner, general registration, bring practical general practice together with pathology when clinically indicated and lifestyle assessment, so your health, energy and wellbeing are considered as a whole.
What's involved
A single, coordinated plan.
Practical general practice
Thorough history, examination and management of underlying health issues.
Pathology when clinically indicated
Blood tests chosen for your history and reviewed with you.
Metabolic health and wellbeing
Assessment of energy, sleep, cycle and weight as part of one plan.
Ongoing review
Follow-up at intervals agreed with you, to track how you feel, how you function and whether anything needs further care.
Functional health assessments
Functional Health Assessments and blood work panels
A Functional Health Assessment is a detailed medical consultation with Dr Julie O'Connell (MED0000939741), Medical Practitioner, general registration. 'Functional' refers to its focus on how you are managing day to day. The assessment uses standard, evidence-based general practice, not a separate type of medicine. It looks at energy, sleep, digestion, mood and, where relevant, your menstrual cycle, alongside your history and an examination, with blood tests only where clinically indicated. The aim is to understand what may be affecting how you feel and agree on a plan.
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A detailed history, in your own words
Dr O'Connell asks what has changed, what matters most to you and what you hope to get from the visit. She also asks about sleep, stress, work, eating and activity, your menstrual cycle where relevant, family history, past results, and any medicines or supplements you take. You are welcome to bring recent test results so nothing is repeated unnecessarily.
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Examination and baseline measurements
A physical examination is tailored to your concerns and usually includes blood pressure and heart rate. Weight and waist measurements are taken only if they are relevant and you are comfortable with them. Some measurements may be taken by Kirby Shannon (NMW0002042639), Registered Nurse (Division 1), general registration.
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Blood tests chosen for your situation
If testing is clinically indicated, Dr O'Connell explains which tests she is requesting, why, and whether any need fasting or a particular time of day or cycle. The clinic will explain how and where to have your blood collected. Tests are not ordered simply because they are available, and you can ask questions or decline any test.
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Results review and an agreed plan
At a follow-up consultation, Dr O'Connell goes through your results with you: what is within the reference range, what is not, and what it may or may not mean. Together you agree on next steps, which may include lifestyle changes, further tests, referral to another health professional, or simply a date to review. If a medical condition is identified, Dr O'Connell will explain what it means and what happens next.
Blood work panels
Blood tests Dr O'Connell may consider
There is no standard set of tests that suits everyone. The groups below show the kinds of tests Dr O'Connell may consider. Many people need only a few of these tests, and some need none. Each test is chosen for your symptoms, history, age and risk factors.
Blood count, iron and vitamins
- Full blood count
- Iron studies (including ferritin)
- Vitamin B12 and folate
- Vitamin D, only if you have risk factors for low levels (such as limited sun exposure or certain medical conditions or medicines)
These tests can help identify anaemia, low iron stores and low vitamin B12 or folate, which can contribute to tiredness. If a result is low, Dr O'Connell looks for the reason, such as diet, blood loss or problems with absorption. Vitamin D is not a routine test for tiredness and is checked only when you have risk factors for deficiency.
Blood sugar and cholesterol
- Fasting glucose
- HbA1c
- Lipids (total, LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides; fasting is not usually needed)
HbA1c and fasting glucose can help identify diabetes or prediabetes. Cholesterol results, together with your age, sex, blood pressure, smoking status, family history and other results, help estimate your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Thyroid
- Thyroid function (TSH)
- Free T4, and occasionally free T3, only if TSH is abnormal or your history points to a thyroid problem
- Thyroid antibodies, where indicated
TSH is the usual first test for an underactive or overactive thyroid, which can affect energy, weight, mood, temperature tolerance and menstrual cycles.
Liver and kidney health
- Liver tests
- Kidney function (eGFR)
- Electrolytes
- Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (a urine test), where indicated
Kidney tests (eGFR and, where indicated, urine albumin) estimate how well your kidneys filter and look for early kidney damage. Liver tests look for signs of liver inflammation or other liver problems, although normal results do not rule out conditions such as fatty liver.
Inflammation and coeliac disease
- C-reactive protein (CRP), where indicated
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), where indicated
- Coeliac serology, where symptoms suggest it (you need to be eating gluten regularly beforehand for the result to be accurate)
These can point to inflammation or coeliac disease, but inflammatory markers are non-specific and are always interpreted alongside your symptoms and other results. A positive coeliac blood test is not a diagnosis on its own. It is usually confirmed with a small bowel biopsy arranged through a gastroenterologist, so keep eating gluten until your doctor advises otherwise.
Periods and the menstrual cycle
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), where indicated
- Prolactin, where indicated
These tests are used for specific reasons, such as irregular or absent periods. Hormone levels change through the menstrual cycle and across life stages, so a single result can be hard to interpret. Tests are timed carefully and ordered only when the result would change your care.
Blood tests are ordered only when clinically indicated, not as a standard package. Dr O'Connell reviews every result and explains it at a follow-up consultation, and the clinic will contact you if a result needs prompt attention. A normal result does not rule out every condition, and a result slightly outside the reference range is not always significant, which is why results are read in the context of your history. Testing can also find borderline or incidental results that lead to further tests, extra cost or worry, and blood collection can cause minor bruising or, occasionally, fainting. Your doctor will explain costs before any tests are ordered, including consultation fees, any pathology charges and whether any Medicare rebate may apply. Medicare covers some tests only in specific clinical circumstances.
Weight & metabolic health
Weight and metabolic health programme
Weight is influenced by many factors, including genetics, sleep, stress, medicines, hormones, life stage, work and the environment you live in. Oak's weight and metabolic health programme is for adults. It is built around lifestyle support, health checks, pathology where clinically indicated and referral to allied health professionals, and it starts with a medical consultation with Dr Julie O'Connell (MED0000939741), Medical Practitioner, general registration. The focus is on your health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, sleep and energy, rather than a target body size.
This may suit you if
- You would like structured support to change eating, activity or sleep habits, with regular check-ins and health checks along the way.
- You would like to understand recent health check results, such as blood sugar or cholesterol, and what changes to eating, activity and sleep may help.
- Your routine has changed, such as shift work, a new job or retirement, and you would like support to adjust your eating, activity and sleep habits.
- You would like help working out what makes changes hard to keep up, such as time, cost, sleep, stress or a health condition, without judgement.
- You would prefer care that tracks health markers and day-to-day wellbeing, not only a number on the scales.
An initial medical assessment
Dr O'Connell takes a full history, including your weight history, eating patterns, sleep, mood, stress, family history and any current medicines, as some can contribute to weight gain. She also asks about any past or current difficulties with eating, weight or exercise, so the approach suits you. She examines you, checks your blood pressure and considers whether another health condition may be contributing.
Metabolic pathology, where indicated
If clinically appropriate, blood tests such as HbA1c, cholesterol (lipids), liver tests, kidney function and thyroid function give a baseline and help identify conditions that need their own management. Tests are repeated only when the results would change your care.
A plan that fits your life
You and Dr O'Connell agree on a small number of practical changes to eating, movement, sleep and stress that suit your culture, budget, work and family. The focus is on habits you can keep, rather than strict rules or cutting out whole food groups.
Check-ins and measurements
At intervals agreed with you, check-ins may be with Kirby Shannon (NMW0002042639), Registered Nurse (Division 1), general registration, who can take measurements such as blood pressure and waist circumference and talk through how the plan is going. You can choose not to be weighed, or not to see the number. Anything that needs a doctor's assessment is passed on to Dr O'Connell.
Referral to allied health and specialists
Where it would help, Dr O'Connell can refer you to an accredited practising dietitian, accredited exercise physiologist or psychologist, or to a specialist such as an endocrinologist or sleep physician, and coordinate your care with them.
Ongoing review with Dr O'Connell
Dr O'Connell reviews your progress, repeat measurements and any repeat pathology at intervals agreed with you, and adjusts your eating, activity, sleep and referral plan based on what is and is not working.
Realistic expectations
Change is usually gradual and varies from person to person. Some people notice better sleep, energy, fitness, blood pressure or blood sugar with little change in weight. Others find their weight changes slowly or not at all, which is common and is not a personal failure. Changes in other health measures still matter. The programme does not promise any particular amount of weight change or timeframe. Weight that is lost is often regained over time, which is why the focus is on habits you can keep and on health measures such as blood pressure and blood sugar, rather than a short-term target. Very restrictive eating can lead to tiredness, nutrient deficiencies and loss of muscle, and increasing exercise too sharply raises the risk of injury, so changes are built up steadily. If you take any regular medicines, changes to eating and activity can affect how they work, so tell your doctor everything you take and do not stop or change any medicine without medical advice. Your doctor will explain costs before you start, including consultation and pathology fees and whether any Medicare rebate may apply.
When a different approach is needed
This programme is for adults aged 18 and over. If you are pregnant, this programme is not suitable; your GP, midwife or obstetric team can advise on eating and activity during pregnancy. If you are breastfeeding, please tell Dr O'Connell, because your energy and nutrition needs are higher and any changes to eating need to allow for this. If you are planning a pregnancy, she can include preconception health, such as nutrition and activity, in your plan. If you have a current or past eating disorder or disordered eating, such as restricting, bingeing, purging or compulsive exercise, a programme that involves weighing, measuring or changing how you eat can cause harm. Dr O'Connell asks about this at your first appointment, and you are welcome to raise it at any time. If it applies, she can help arrange a different approach with a psychologist and an accredited practising dietitian experienced in eating disorders. The Butterfly Foundation National Helpline is available on 1800 33 4673. Unexplained weight loss or gain, or new symptoms such as ongoing fatigue, excessive thirst or changes in bowel habits, need medical assessment first, for example through a Functional Health Assessment or with your usual GP, rather than this programme. Some complex conditions are better managed by a specialist, and Dr O'Connell will refer you if so. In an emergency, call 000.
What is a Functional Health Assessment?
It is a consultation set aside to look at several parts of your health together, such as energy, sleep, digestion and mood, alongside your history, an examination and, where clinically indicated, pathology. It uses standard, evidence-based history-taking, examination and pathology. 'Functional' describes the focus on your everyday wellbeing, not a separate type of medicine. If you have a regular GP, your results and plan can be shared with them, with your consent.
Can I ask for a particular blood test?
Yes. You are welcome to raise any test you are curious about, and Dr O'Connell will explain whether it is likely to be useful for you. Tests are ordered only when clinically indicated. Some tests marketed directly to the public, such as IgG food intolerance panels or hair mineral analysis, do not have good evidence for diagnosing health problems, so Dr O'Connell uses tests with established clinical value.
What if my results are normal but I still don't feel well?
Normal results are useful information, and your symptoms still matter. Dr O'Connell will look at other contributors such as sleep, mood, stress, workload, medicines and life stage, may suggest reviewing things over time, and can refer you to another health professional or specialist if further assessment is needed.
Will I be weighed at every visit?
Not unless you want to be. Weight is only one of many measures. Progress can also be tracked through blood pressure, waist circumference, pathology, sleep, energy and fitness. You can ask not to be weighed, or to be weighed without seeing the number.
How much does it cost, and does Medicare help?
Costs depend on the consultations and tests you need. Your doctor will explain fees before you commit, including consultation fees, any pathology charges and whether any Medicare rebate may apply. You are welcome to ask the clinic about current consultation fees before booking.
The information on this page is general and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Tests, referrals and plans are decided with Dr O'Connell in a consultation. Individual results vary.