Knowledge guides

LG19: Public health

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical sciences

Advanced 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

Advanced 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.

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

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Important specific issues

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

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Global epidemiology of infections
  • Consequences of common communicable infectious diseases for pregnant people
  • High-consequence infectious diseases (HCID) and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as:
    • Australian bat lyssavirus
    • Hendra and Nipah viruses
    • Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)
    • Mpox
    • novel respiratory viruses, such as:
      • highly pathogenic avian influenza, including H5N1
    • Rift Valley fever
    • SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2
    • toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae
    • viral haemorrhagic fevers
  • Impact of climate change on epidemiology of infectious diseases
Principles of diseases outbreak detection and management
  • Control
  • Local state control guidelines
  • Outbreak detection
  • Public health laboratory and network laboratory case definition
  • Reporting investigation and requirements
  • Role of infectious diseases physicians as part of multidisciplinary teams, which may include:
    • clinical microbiologists
    • epidemiologists
    • public health physicians
Principles of public health management of communicable infections
  • Environmental controls
  • Prophylaxis
  • Quarantine
  • Reporting
  • Surveillance
Public health consequences of infections
  • Features of important and common communicable infectious diseases, such as:
    • clinical management
    • clinical presentation
    • contact tracing
    • definition of contact
    • disaster implications
    • identification
    • incidence, including worldwide distribution
    • incubation periods
    • isolation precautions
    • mode of transmission
    • period of communicability
    • prophylaxis
    • reservoir
    • susceptibility, immunity, and preventative and control measures

PCH

  • Consequences of common communicable infectious diseases for neonates
  • Screening programs for congenital syphilis
  • Appropriate diagnostics required for diagnosis of notifiable infectious diseases of public health significance
  • Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) Series of National Guidelines (SoNGs) for public health units
  • Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN) guidance on definitive and suggestive laboratory diagnostic criteria
  • One Health approach
  • Resources used to keep up to date, and importance of research on informing policy on current disease outbreaks and new diseases and syndromes
Collaboration with public health services and communities
  • Investigation of epidemics or outbreaks, such as measles
  • Clinical presentation, definition of contact, identification, incubation period, mode of transmission, period of communicability, and susceptibility for agents in bioterrorism, such as:
    • arenaviruses and filoviruses
    • Bacillus anthracis
    • Clostridium botulinum
    • Francisella tularensis
    • variola major
    • Yersinia pestis
  • Principles of the notifiable diseases system, such as:
    • expectations of public health practitioners and clinicians
    • function of health protection and environmental health officers, and their relationship with key infection control personnel in the hospital and community
    • processes for reporting notifiable infectious diseases
    • role of immunisation in vaccine-preventable communicable diseases
  • Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) Regulatory Scheme and associated legislations
  • Steps in public health outbreak management plans, such as pandemic influenza and COVID
Measures to minimise disease burden and prevent transmission through advice, advocacy, and notification
  • Health promotion and media communication of public health issues, including increasing public awareness of infectious diseases
  • How to access information for less common communicable diseases and neglected tropical diseases
  • Key aspects of state and national policies, including gaps and limitations, with respect to epidemic and pandemic preparedness and management, healthcare associated infections, and immunisation
  • Key processes in public health surveillance
  • Prevention of antimicrobial resistance
  • Public health intervention planning, including resource allocation
  • Use of artificial intelligence, genomic surveillance, and surveillance for vector competence for local transmission of diseases
Public health issues in high-risk populations
  • Public health issues in northern and central Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Māori, and Pacific peoples, and other Indigenous populations:
    • current public health programs relevant to infectious diseases
    • differences in frequency of disease, such as rheumatic fever, health outcomes, and social determinants