Principles of Pre-travel Healthcare

The pre-travel health consultation provides an opportunity to assess the health risks of travel for an individual and provide education and advice to promote healthy travel. A key component of the pre-travel consultation is an individualised health risk assessment, based on traveller demographics and details of the planned trip (including itinerary, duration and planned activities). Comprehensive pre-travel healthcare should include the provision of appropriate interventions (such as immunisations), as well as tailored education and advice about health risks, risk reduction strategies and appropriate care of illness or injury should it occur. Advice should be individualised, but there are several common themes and principles that underpin sound, consistent and high-quality health advice for travel, which are outlined in this chapter. Those advising travellers should be familiar with these principles, have a good working knowledge of travel medicine issues (including disease epidemiology) and know when and how to access up-to-date information. Due to the nature and volume of complex information provided during pre-travel consultations, it is essential to provide travellers with clear and concise supplementary information.