Lesson 1Social and behavioural history: smoking, alcohol, occupation, living conditions, exercise, salt intakeAddresses how to obtain a focused social and behavioural history, including smoking, alcohol, occupation, environmental exposures, living conditions, diet, exercise, and salt intake, and how these influence cardiopulmonary risk in diverse Australian communities.
Smoking history, pack-years, and cessation stageAlcohol intake, screening, and counsellingOccupation, dust, and chemical exposuresHome environment, heating, and dampnessPhysical activity, exercise, and limitationsDietary patterns, salt intake, and weightLesson 2Red flag and alarm symptoms: syncope, chest pain, haemoptysis, sudden worsening, severe hypotensionDetails recognition and exploration of red flag symptoms such as syncope, acute chest pain, haemoptysis, sudden dyspnoea, and hypotension, emphasising time course, associated features, and when to escalate for emergency care in line with Australian guidelines.
Characterising acute chest pain and onsetAssessing syncope, presyncope, and collapseEvaluating haemoptysis volume and triggersSudden dyspnoea and suspected pulmonary embolismRecognising shock, hypotension, and poor perfusionEscalation thresholds and emergency referralLesson 3Communication skills and documentation: open questions, focused clarifying questions, safety netting and recording key timestamps and responsesFocuses on building rapport, using open and focused questions, exploring patient concerns, summarising, safety netting, and accurately documenting symptoms, timestamps, and responses in a clear, medico-legal clinical record compliant with Australian standards.
Structuring the cardiopulmonary interviewUsing open questions to elicit the narrativeFocused clarifying questions for key symptomsChecking understanding and shared agenda settingSafety netting, red flag advice, and follow-upAccurate, time-stamped clinical documentationLesson 4Past medical history probes: hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, valvular disease, rheumatic fever, COPD, sleep apnoea, anaemia, renal diseaseCovers targeted questioning about cardiovascular and respiratory comorbidities, including hypertension, ischaemic and valvular disease, rheumatic fever, COPD, sleep apnoea, anaemia, and renal disease, and how these shape risk and differential diagnosis in Australian patients.
Clarifying prior cardiac diagnoses and interventionsDocumenting hypertension duration and controlHistory of rheumatic fever and valvular sequelaeChronic lung disease, COPD, and asthma detailsSleep apnoea, obesity hypoventilation, and CPAP useRenal disease, anaemia, and cardiorenal interactionsLesson 5System-specific symptom screens: cough, wheeze, chest pain, palpitations, oedema distribution, urinary symptomsGuides system-based screening for respiratory, cardiac, and renal symptoms, including cough, wheeze, chest pain, palpitations, oedema pattern, urinary changes, and constitutional features that refine the differential diagnosis in primary care.
Respiratory review: cough, sputum, and wheezeCardiac review: chest pain and palpitationsPeripheral oedema pattern and distributionNocturia, oliguria, and renal congestion signsSystemic symptoms: fever, weight loss, fatigueLinking system findings to differential diagnosisLesson 6Targeted symptom history: dyspnoea onset, progression, orthopnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, exertional toleranceTeaches structured exploration of dyspnoea, orthopnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, exertional tolerance, cough, and associated symptoms, focusing on onset, progression, triggers, and functional impact on daily activities for Australian lifestyles.
Onset and progression of dyspnoea timelineOrthopnoea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoeaExertional tolerance and activity limitationCough, sputum, and wheeze characterisationChest tightness, pain, and palpitationsImpact on sleep, work, and daily functioningLesson 7Family history and risk factors: premature cardiovascular disease, cardiomyopathies, thrombophiliaCovers eliciting family history of premature cardiovascular disease, cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, thrombophilia, and sudden death, and integrating genetic and shared lifestyle risks into risk stratification relevant to Australian populations.
Premature coronary artery disease in relativesInherited cardiomyopathies and channelopathiesFamily history of venous thromboembolismSudden unexplained death and arrhythmiasShared lifestyle and environmental factorsWhen to consider genetic counselling referralLesson 8Medication review and adherence: prescription, OTC, herbal, adherence barriers, recent changesExplores systematic medication history taking, including prescriptions, OTC and herbal drugs, recent changes, adherence barriers, side effects, and interactions relevant to cardiopulmonary disease and decompensation in Australian healthcare.
Listing all prescription and OTC medicationsIdentifying cardioactive and respiratory drugsRecent medication changes and decompensationAssessing adherence, beliefs, and routinesDetecting adverse effects and drug interactionsInhaler technique and device-related issues
