Valvular Heart Disease (VHD) represents a significant and growing burden within the Australian healthcare system, frequently remaining undiagnosed until the onset of severe, life-limiting symptoms. Because patients often misattribute early signs of decline to “normal ageing”, the role of the General Practitioner as a clinical sentinel is paramount.

This comprehensive CPD activity combines auscultation audio-visual training with a practical, practice-based mini-audit. Designed specifically for primary care physicians, the course guides you through the epidemiological data, economic impacts, and pathophysiological markers of major valvular lesions, including Aortic Stenosis, Mitral Regurgitation, and Tricuspid Valve Disease.

This is a RACGP CPD module with an allocated 1 hour of Education Activities (EA), 2 hours of Measuring Outcomes (MO), and 2 hour of Reflective Practice (RP) under the RACGP 2026-28 CPD program.

Learning Objectives:

1. Differentiate between physiological and pathological heart sounds using standardised auscultatory techniques to improve the detection of structural heart valve disease in primary care.
2. Evaluate patient-reported symptoms, such as exertional dyspnoea and fatigue, to identify the transition from latent to symptomatic disease states with greater clinical sensitivity.
3. Apply evidence-based diagnostic pathways and Australian referral guidelines to ensure the timely grading of disease severity and access to multidisciplinary cardiac care.
4. Review practice performance through a clinical audit of at-risk patients to identify diagnostic gaps and integrate proactive auscultation into routine adult health assessments.

This activity is presented by Dr Matthew Brooks, an Interventional Cardiologist at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Private Hospital, and John Fawkner Private Hospital.