Chronic conditions are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia.

According to the COAG health council, tackling chronic disease and their causes is the biggest challenge facing Australia’s health system. In the past 40 years, the burden of disease in Australia has shifted away from chronic health conditions requiring immediate attention to prevention activities and coordinated management of health symptoms. An integral part of coordinated management is the reliable regular non-emergency transport to treatment and treatment facilities. Patients who suffer chronic health conditions often have exacerbations or acute presentations that need to be recognised and referred early. At times, patient transport officers are in the best position to recognise even the smallest deviations from baseline and should be given the tools and knowledge to know when to advocate for their patients.

This module focuses on an introductory perspective to chronic health disease in Australia and focuses on common musculoskeletal and medical chronic health conditions.

Presented by: Shonel Hall

Audience: Non-Emergency Patient transport, Students, Graduates.

Biography: Shonel Hall

Shonel is a practicing midwife & paramedic as well as academic in paramedicine. She is passionate about out-of-hospital obstetrics and educating paramedics on birth and helping alleviate the fear surrounding these presentations. Outside of work Shonel is a wife and mother of 4 beautiful children under 10. She is an avid camper, Prosecco enthusiast and works toward reducing our the effect of our footprint on the planet.

Image from Marcelo Leal on Unsplash