Issued 23.7.09
MEDIA ADVISORY NOTE
Mackay launch for Queensland’s first online epilepsy training courses
Date:
Tuesday 28 July 2009
Time:
11.15am – 12.15pm
Place:
Magpies Sporting Club, Glenella Rd, Mackay
Launch guest:
James Bidgood MP, Federal Member for Dawson
Thanks to strong local interest, Mackay has been selected as the launch venue for the State’s first e-learning
project offering training in epilepsy management.
Some 50 health, nursing and disability professionals working in the Mackay area recently participated in the
Epilepsy Queensland Inc (EQI) pilot for the web-based training project. Using feedback via the 200 or so
statewide pilot participants, six online training courses have been finalised including Seizure First Aid and
Living with Epilepsy. The courses will be available to health and allied professionals in regional and rural
Queensland.
The project is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing National Rural Primary Health Projects
(NRPHP) initiative. It provides a valuable resource for anyone who has contact with people with epilepsy.
Epilepsy is the world’s most common serious brain disorder with some 2 percent of Queenslanders (about
86,000 people) affected by the condition. However epilepsy has a low profile in the community, largely
because of the stigma associated with seizures which affect many people. Generally a seizure occurs when
the brain’s normal working is disturbed by a sudden unusual release of energy in the brain.
Chief Executive Officer of EQI, Helen Whitehead, said the training content of the online courses was similar to
that provided to metropolitan-based health and allied professionals via workshops. She said the increasing
costs of travelling across Queensland to deliver face-to-face training had required a new approach – and the
online initiative had provided the perfect solution to improving the skills and confidence of regional health
workers in dealing with epilepsy in their communities.
All local participants in the pilot, plus interested people (including media representatives) are invited to attend
the launch.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media please call Helen Whitehead on 0400 578 898 to arrange a pre-event
interview. People interested in attending the launch should call EQI on freecall 1300 852 853 to secure a place.
NEWS 
