Comprehensive Health Assessment Program

...improving the health of adults with intellectual disability

Please note that for use in Australia, you should obtain CHAP through the website of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

For use outside Australia, you can obtain a license to use CHAP through the UniQuest eShop at the bottom of the page.

What is CHAP?

The Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) is designed to help minimise the barriers to healthcare for people with intellectual disability by prompting health care and screening.  Developed at The University of Queensland by Professor Nick Lennox, CHAP is used under license by health departments, GP clinics, disability service providers, and other non-government organisations.

How CHAP works

CHAP is a tool designed to prompt a comprehensive health assessment for adults with intellectual disability.  This may potentially help doctors make better diagnoses, provide appropriate treatment and ultimately ensure an overall better health. The CHAP tool is a two-part questionnaire requiring collaboration between the person with the intellectual disability, their supporter and their GP.  The first part of the questionnaire creates a comprehensive health history and is completed by the parents, paid support staff and/or person with intellectual disability.  The health history is then taken to the person’s GP.  Working with the person and their supporter, the GP fills in the second part of the questionnaire. Here, the GP is prompted to be aware of commonly missed, poorly managed or syndrome specific health conditions and performs a review of the person’s health. On completion of the GP’s review, a health action plan should be agreed upon by the GP in collaboration with those involved in providing support or the person themselves.

Evidence behind CHAP

CHAP has been validated through several Australian studies. Its' importance has been recognised by leading international researchers, for example according to Professor Eric Emerson, a respected researcher in the field of intellectual disability, the CHAP study contributes to the world literature the most conclusive evidence that health gain resulted from an intervention. These studies focused on adults with intellectual disability who had high to low support needs, and the results are explained in the following publications:

Lennox N, Bain C, Rey-Conde T, Purdie D, Bush R, Pandeya N. Effects of a comprehensive health assessment programme for Australian adults with intellectual disability: a cluster randomized trial. Int J Epidemiol. 2007 Feb;36(1):139-46.

Lennox N, Bain C, Rey-Conde T, Taylor M, Boyle FM, Purdie DM, et al. Cluster randomized-controlled trial of interventions to improve health for adults with intellectual disability who live in private dwellings Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. 2010;23(4):303-11.

CHAP updated regularly

Please note that the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care is now responsible for updating CHAP.

For use in Australia, you can obtain the most up-to-date version of CHAP through the Department of Health and Aged Care website. 

Why use CHAP? 

Professor Nick Lennox speaks about the evidence behind the CHAP:

How to embed health assessments into service provision in disability organisations:

CHAP and Medicare Australia

There are four Medicare Benefits Schedule items for health assessments based on how long the assessment takes (items 701, 703, 705 & 707). www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/

Obtaining a License:

License terms and conditions do apply. You can read the terms and conditions when you proceed to the relevant product order page, by clicking on the relevant product link below.

You will be directed to provide information about your intended use. This information will be used to monitor how the tool is being used to assist us with our research.

Pricing for Australian Use:

For use in Australia, you should obtain CHAP through the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Pricing for Non-Australian Use:

CHAP is priced at $10 per use and is sold in bundles, with the minimum bundle size being 100 uses for a 12 month license period.

$1,000 for 100 uses 

$3,000 for 500 uses

$5,000 for 1,000 uses

Pricing is in Australian Dollars and is exclusive of GST.

Purchase Instructions:

To acquire a license, complete all required fields and proceed to the checkout. 

When you purchase a license, you should select the bundle size that is appropriate for your intended number of uses of the CHAP during a 12 month (annual period).  Should you wish to renew your license after the initial 12 month license period, you can simply come back and renew through the UniQuest e-shop.

Payment is via credit card only. Upon receipt of your valid credit card payment, you will be provided with a confirmation email that includes a link to download the CHAP documents.

Feedback on CHAP

Do you have feedback based on your use of the CHAP form? You can let us know by clicking here.