Suchergebnisse

Objective: The Australian Travel Health Advisory Group (THAG), established in 1997, is a joint initiative between the travel industry and travel medicine professionals that aims to promote healthy travel amongst travellers. THAG seeks to promote cooperation in improving the health of travellers between the travel industry and travel medicine professionals and to raise awareness of the importance of travel health to the Australian public. Method: The poster describes the major activities of THAG which include: networking and exchange among groups interested in travel health; commissioning travel health research; promotion of travel health awareness working through travel service providers; public relations activities to increase awareness of travel health risks and the importance of seeking pre-travel health advice and vaccination; and the development of an increasingly popular website to provide travel health information to Australian travellers. Result: A travel health bookmark developed by THAG has been distributed extensively through travel agents, Qantas Holidays and Youth Hostels Association. Travel health surveys conducted under the auspices by THAG have been presented at the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) conferences and articles focused on hepatitis A and hepatitis B published in the Journal of Travel Medicine. The welltogo.com.au website was developed in 2004; expansion of the content took place in 2005, and in 2007 the interactive World Map was launched (providing health warnings for all regions). The use of the welltogo website has increased rapidly with more than 42,000 visits per year. The Australian Government travel advisory site has a link to welltogo. THAG participated in the 2007 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Australian Olympic Committee immunisation campaign, where the Shadow Olympic Team was vaccinated in preparation for Beijing. THAG profiled the welltogo website and provided a spokesperson and research statistics for the campaign. THAG's professional organisation profile was published in the Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease publication in 2007. Conclusion: A partnership approach between the travel industry and travel medicine professionals can effectively support a range of activities to promote the health of travelers. The welltogo website is now making an important contribution in providing information to the Australian public on travel health. Interests to declare: The activities of the Travel Health Advisory Group are funded by GlaxoSmithkline Australia.

Background. More Australians are traveling to overseas destinations where preventable infectious diseases, such as hepatitis A, are endemic. Yet, there is only limited data concerning the extent to which Australians seek travel advice and vaccination before their departures. Method. Annual telephone surveys were conducted among adult Australians travelers. Information was collected on the travel advice and vaccinations received before departure. Perceptions about, and their potential exposure to, travel-related infections while overseas were also assessed. This paper presents data from the 2003 survey related to travel advice and hepatitis A, while hepatitis B is discussed in the companion article. Results. Only a third of interviewees had sought health advice before travel. Infrequent travelers, those departing for endemic countries or for longer journeys, were more likely to seek medical advice. Overall, 32% of interviewees had been vaccinated against hepatitis A, with travelers to high/medium-hepatitis A endemicity destinations being more likely to be vaccinated than those visiting low-endemicity countries (44% vs 20%). Among the 263 visitors to endemic countries, those who stayed with friends and relatives were least likely to be vaccinated against hepatitis A compared to other styles of accommodation. Conclusions. Despite government recommendations and industry group campaigns about the need for pretravel advice, the majority of Australians travel overseas without adequate health advice and protection against hepatitis A and other travel-related infectious diseases.

Background: Migrant travellers who return to their country of origin to visit family and friends (VFR) are less likely to seek travel-related medical care and are less likely to adhere to recommended medications and travel precautions. Through this study, we aimed to get an understanding of the views of stakeholders from community migrant centres and primary care providers on barriers for migrants, particularly from non-English speaking backgrounds, in accessing travel health advice and the strategies that could be used to engage them. Methods: A qualitative study involving 20 semi-structured interviews was undertaken in Sydney, Australia between January 2013 and September 2014. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: Language barriers, a lower perceived risk of travel-related infections and the financial costs of seeking pre-travel health care were nominated as being the key barriers impacting on the uptake of pre-travel health advice and precautions. To overcome pre-existing language barriers, participants advocated for the use of bilingual community educators, community radio, ethnic newspapers and posters in the dissemination of pre-travel health information. Conclusions: Travel is a major vector of importation of infectious diseases into Australia, and VFR travellers are at high risk of infection. Collaboration between the Government, primary care physicians, migrant community groups and migrants themselves is crucial if we are to be successful in reducing travel-related risks among this subgroup of travellers.

Background: There are significant gaps in the implementation and uptake of evidence-based guideline recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes in Australian general practice. This study protocol describes the methodology for a cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a model that aims to improve the implementation of these guidelines in Australian general practice developed by a collaboration between researchers, non-government organisations, and the profession.Methods: We hypothesise that the intervention will alter the behaviour of clinicians and patients resulting in improvements of recording of lifestyle and physiological risk factors (by 20%) and increased adherence to guideline recommendations for: the management of CVD and diabetes risk factors (by 20%); and lifestyle and physiological risk factors of patients at risk (by 5%). Thirty-two general practices will be randomised in a 1:1 allocation to receive either the intervention or continue with usual care, after stratification by state. The intervention will be delivered through: small group education; audit of patient records to determine preventive care; and practice facilitation visits adapted to the needs of the practices. Outcome data will be extracted from electronic medical records and patient questionnaires, and qualitative evaluation from provider and patient interviews.Discussion: We plan to disseminate study findings widely and directly inform implementation strategies by governments, professional bodies, and non-government organisations including the partner organisations. © 2013 Harris et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.