Population Health

Advanced Specialised#

Knowledge#

AS.K.1#

Discuss national public health priorities, targets and campaigns and discuss their relevance, impact and application to local rural and remote communities, including:

  • cardiovascular disease
  • cancer
  • mental health
  • injury
  • diabetes
  • asthma
  • immunisation
  • drug and alcohol

AS.K.2#

Illustrate an understanding of epidemiology, including:

  • study design to a research situation
  • ability to read and understand epidemiological publications critically
  • fundamental understanding of the principles of epidemiology, and
  • sound understanding of the pros and cons of the main study designs

AS.K.3#

Discuss barriers to health care and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s people in the community, such as:

  • difficulty accessing services
  • culturally inappropriate health services, policies and procedures
  • health impact of dispossession, and
  • administrative issues such as entitlement cards and transport policies.

AS.K.4#

Describe the links between historic and social factors and the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s populations including:

  • the psychological impact of colonisation, disempowerment, removal from family and country, institutionalisation, marginalisation and discrimination
  • health consequences of poverty, inadequate education, lack of economic opportunity, poor food access and childhood nutrition, poor housing availability and maintenance, and inadequate community infrastructure
  • the complex background and impact of issues such as substance misuse, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect
  • the importance and health impact of family relationships, social support, access to transport, and a sense of control over one’s life.

AS.K.5#

Describe specific and differing profile of over-represented conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and demonstrate an understanding of how population health strategies can be used to address these issues.

AS.K.6#

Detail the characteristics of rural and remote settings and their impact on population health, including:

  • types of conditions likely to be encountered
  • impact of rural and remote attitudes and the historical events leading to these attitudes
  • impact of current and previous health professionals
  • distance
  • limited resource availability
  • rural/remote environmental factors
  • unique agricultural health and medical issues impacting upon workers and their families, and
  • unique mining health issues in rural and remote areas

AS.K.7#

Discuss population health principles and practice relating to infection control in primary, secondary and tertiary care settings, including:

  • personal hygiene
  • protective equipment
  • management of sharps
  • sterilisation procedures, and
  • hazardous waste disposal.

AS.K.8#

Explain legislation regarding confidentiality, consent and disease notification, including:

  • the principles of public health acts
  • privacy legislation
  • tobacco and liquor legislation.

AS.K.9#

Discuss population health principles in crisis situations, such as:

  • climate variation and change impacting upon rural industry and families
  • natural disaster management
  • major trauma planning and response, and
  • pandemic or epidemic response.

Skills#

AS.S.1#

Design and implement evidence-based prevention, early detection and health maintenance activities into practice at a systems level, including:

  • screening and early detection
  • health checks
  • preventive measures
  • patient education and counselling
  • brief interventions
  • chronic disease management based on national and state strategies
  • recall and reminder systems
  • developing risk factor and disease registers
  • utilising available web-based registers

AS.S.2#

Identify and critically appraise resources of public health information, including:

  • conducting effective literature reviews
  • identifying a range of appropriate sources including websites, journals, databases, clinical practice guidelines, government departments and other agencies
  • using data to describe the health of populations
  • critically appraising evidence
  • using evidence-based management guidelines to inform clinical decisions.

AS.S.3#

Take a leadership role in population health research, including:

  • appraising research proposals
  • building partnerships
  • ensuring research priorities are aligned with community needs
  • ensuring appropriate trial design
  • ensuring compliance with legislative and ethical requirements

AS.S.4#

Coordinate development and implementation of extended population health initiatives, including;

  • screening programs
  • immunisation
  • outbreak management, including outbreaks in health care facilities
  • chronic disease management
  • health promotion events or programs
  • mental health promotion
  • disease prevention
  • injury prevention

AS.S.5#

Conduct a community health status assessment, including:

  • monitoring of health trends
  • disease burden
  • identifying disease and injury patterns
  • assessing environmental, occupational, behavioural, social and economic factors

AS.S.6#

Design and implement a community health strategy in response to community need, including;

  • identifying the health issue
  • identifying current services
  • identifying health professional, patient and stakeholder needs
  • identifying areas for collaboration

AS.S.7#

Complete a funding application for and implement socially, culturally and economically appropriate local population health programs, eg:

  • heath promotion and community development
  • screening and early detection
  • disease, mental illness and injury prevention
  • holistic care and integrated models of care.

AS.S.8#

Conduct a population health program evaluation, including:

  • negotiating with key stakeholders and consumers
  • selecting appropriate evaluation methods
  • using formative, process, outcome and impact evaluation methods
  • using quantitative and qualitative techniques, such as clinical audits and surveys
  • collecting and analysing health outcome and quality of care data
  • communicating findings meaningfully to a range of audiences, including official reports to funding bodies and presentations to communities and other stakeholders

AS.S.9#

Act as a medical advocate in the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions that address determinants of population health, including:

  • understanding the links between social and economic factors and health outcomes in the local community
  • communicating these links to various audiences, as appropriate
  • being aware of the political context in which they are working
  • working with government agencies and making submissions as appropriate
  • working with local community leaders and different cultural groups
  • being aware of local community history, sensitivities and priorities
  • being multi-skilled and flexible

Attributes#

At.3#

Agency

At.17#

Resourcefulness

At.5#

Commitment

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