Australasian College of Paramedicine International Conference (ACPIC24)

ACPIC 2024 delivered a wide range of clinical and research sessions from experts and leaders in paramedicine. Hosted in Sydney (September 2024) the program was designed to inspire, educate and broaden horizons.

Conference theme: Paramedicine's evolution – Embracing the new era

This series is called Climate Change, Public Health and Paramedicine and aims to stimulate conversation and consideration of the practical impacts of climate change for paramedics

Implications for Service Planning and Practice

Climate-related extreme events such as heatwaves, bushfires and floods can have devastating impacts on local emergency responders and health services, both during and in the aftermath of these events. In a warming world, how can paramedic services best plan for extreme events, and what does the evidence say is needed in the future? How can you, as a paramedic, make a difference?

Biography: Dr Sharon Campbell

Dr Sharon Campbell is an academic researcher in climate change and health, and a fellow of the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network. Her research focusses on the health system and community impacts of extreme events such as heatwaves and bushfires, and working out the best adaptation solutions available in the face of a rapidly changing climate.

Infection prevention and control in ambulance services

Where we were, how the pandemic changed us, and where we are headed.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) programs continue to evolve in ambulance services and are vital to keep our patients, colleagues, and communities safe. The recent pandemic presented many opportunities, challenges, and areas of growth. This included the progression of IPC professionals, the way ambulance services can assist in community outbreak management, environmental sustainability, preparation for future public health emergencies, and expanding scope of practice.

Biography: Ursula Howarth

Ursula has worked as an infection prevention and control (IPC) CNC since 2020. She started her career in healthcare over 20 years ago as a veterinary nurse and then worked as a paramedic throughout Queensland for 13 years. Ursula has a Bachelor of Nursing, a Bachelor of Paramedicine, a Graduate Diploma in Health, and a Master of IPC. The master studies coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and Ursula began working as one of two IPC CNC's for Queensland Ambulance Service throughout the pandemic and is the first dedicated IPC professional to work for Ambulance Tasmania.

Hot and Bothered - Climate change, extreme heat and health for older Australians

The environmental impacts of climate change are diverse and translate to multiple direct and indirect population health impacts- often hidden and exacerbators of existing health conditions. The past three years of northern hemisphere summers and the 2023-2024 summer in Australia provide a window into the breadth and impacts of one such climate threat –extreme heat. This presentation provides an overview of the warming of the planet and how this is translating to rising heat and health impacts. It will focus on what this means for one particular at-risk population – older adults. It will include an overview of the Ethos (Extreme Heat and Older Persons) project - an individualised heat-health early warning system for older persons and present some of our survey research findings, communication outputs and learnings from our phase 1 trials.

Biography: Assoc Professor Shannon Rutherford

Associate Professor Rutherford is a public health specialist with a long research career focussed on assessing the links between environmental change and human health and building capacity to understand, assess and respond to the consequences at the local, national and global level. Her research has spanned various aspects of climate and health across diverse settings. She leads several transdisciplinary projects focussed on improving the health of communities as our climate warms. These include a large project aimed to reduce the health impacts of increasing heat on older persons and the Queensland Heat-Health Community of Practice.

Thermophysiological Impacts of Climate Change on Paramedics

Attendees will leave with a sense of responsibility to the community, feeling enabled to start practicing sustainable healthcare practice, and beginning to consider how these factors of climate change will impact their clinical practice in the future.

Biography: Dr Joanne Caldwell Odgers

Dr Caldwell is a Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular and Exercise physiology at Monash University. She is Head of the Exercise Physiology and Environmental Health Laboratory and brings extensive experience in occupational physiology. Her expertise has been crucial in developing new Physical Employment Standards for Intensive Care Flight Paramedics at Ambulance Victoria. Additionally, Dr Caldwell is deeply interested in studying how humans can adapt to rising temperatures associated with climate change.

Moderator: Andrew Odgers, ACPIC24 Organising Committee Member