Those who turn 50 receive an invitation to attend health counselling at their local health centre. Health counselling consists of three steps.

Step 1: Filling in a questionnaire

The invitation includes a link to a questionnaire. You get to answer questions about your well-being and your way of life, for example what you eat, how much exercise you take and if you have any illnesses. Your answers will help the health-care professional adjust counselling to suit your particular needs.

This is how you do it:

1. Go to 1177.se.
2. Log in using BankID or other electronic identification.
3. Select Övriga tjänster [“Other Services”].
4. Select Alla övriga tjänster [“All Other Services”].
5. Select Hälsosamtal [“Individual Health Counselling”].
6. Fill in the questionnaire and submit your answers.

 

Step 2: Coming to be tested

You will receive an appointment for testing at your local health centre. When you come, we will take a blood sample to measure your blood sugar and blood fat/cholesterol. You may also get to weigh yourself and measure your waist and your height. Alternatively, this may be done during your health-counselling session instead. You do not need to take your clothes off.

After you have had a blood sample taken, you will receive an appointment for your health-counselling session.

You need to fast before having your blood sample taken

Fasting means that, for 10 hours before your blood sample is taken, you must not eat any food, chew gum, smoke or use snus. You may only drink one small glass of water. However, you may take any medication that you usually take.

Step 3: Coming for health counselling

Health counselling takes place at your local health centre and is led by a counsellor, who may be a nurse or another health-care professional.
It takes about an hour and a half.

You get to measure your blood pressure, and you receive a summary of your present state of health which indicates how your habits are affecting your health and what you can do to enhance your well-being. This summary stands on three legs: your answers to the questionnaire, the results of your blood test and what you and the counsellor talked about during counselling.

You and the counsellor go through your answers together, discussing what is most important for you right now. You get to reflect on what is working well for you and on whether there is anything you would like to change. The purpose of health counselling is to help you go on doing the good things you are already doing and to give you support if there is something you want to try doing differently. What you decide together will be noted in your patient file. You get to take your personal health profile home with you. It contains your test results and the outcome of your health-counselling session.