Knowledge guides

LG12: Health promotion and illness prevention

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical sciences

Trainees will have in-depth knowledge of the topics listed under each clinical sciences heading.

For the statistical and epidemiological concepts listed, trainees should be able to describe the underlying rationale, the indications for using one test or method over another, and the calculations required to generate descriptive statistics.

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Investigations, procedures, and clinical assessment tools

Trainees will know the scientific foundation of each investigation and procedure, including relevant anatomy and physiology. They will be able to interpret the reported results of each investigation or procedure.

Trainees will know how to explain the investigation or procedure to workers/patients, their families, and/or carers, and be able to explain procedural risk and obtain informed consent where applicable.

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Important specific issues

Trainees will identify important specialty-specific issues and the impact of these on diagnosis, management, and outcomes.

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  • Biomedical, environmental, genetic, and socioeconomic risk factors and risky health behaviours, and know where preventive effort can be best applied
  • Key public health problems and health needs of priority population groups
  • National Health Priority Areas (NHPAs) and risk factors in Australia:
    • arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions
    • asthma
    • cancer
    • cardiovascular disease
    • diabetes
    • injury
    • mental health
  • NHPAs and risk factors in Aotearoa New Zealand:
    • alcohol, and illicit and other drug use
    • cancer
    • cardiovascular disease
    • diabetes
    • immunisation and vaccinations
    • mental health
    • nutrition
    • obesity
    • oral health
    • physical activity
    • smoking
    • suicide
    • violence
  • Notifiable diseases and their reporting process
  • Population characteristics that lead to inequality in health status
  • Principles of:
    • benefits, costs, importance, side effects, and use of screening
    • epidemic control
    • illness prevention (1°, 2°, 3° prevention) and screening
    • infection control
    • outbreak investigation
    • use of worker/patient registers and disease recall systems
  • The major burden of disease and injury, and the major risk factors causing this burden, in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Interpret indicators for measuring health status, such as:
    • adverse health events
    • aggregate health indicators
    • causes of decreased quality of life
    • hospitalisation rates
    • injury rates
    • measures of positive dimensions of health
    • mortality
  • Changing trends in occupational disease and injury in the broader community
  • Demographics and participation rates in prevention or screening programs
  • Disease patterns to inform and contextualise clinical practice
  • Economic implications of policies and procedures that support safe practice
  • Economics of prevention and health promotion, including the influence of compensation mechanisms
  • Effects of work and social gradient on health
  • Evidence-based occupational disease and injury trends in daily practice
  • Health conditions affecting safety at work and related to employment
  • Health inequities in relation to priority population groups, such as:
    • diverse groups
    • Indigenous people
    • people with a disability
    • prisoners / people held in detention settings
    • rural / remote areas
    • socioeconomically disadvantaged
    • veterans
  • Immunisation and epidemic control
  • Measures of cost effectiveness and anticipated positive health outcomes
  • Organisational plans for:
    • drug and alcohol abuse prevention
    • healthy eating
    • physical activity
    • smoking cessation
    • weight reduction
  • Population health status data identifying health issues, including:
    • common notifiable diseases
    • commonly reported chronic conditions
    • factors related to good health
    • leading causes of death
    • leading causes of hospitalisation
  • Workplace health surveillance programs, including those described in legislation
  • Protocol and processes of interaction between workers/patients and available health system resources