title: Travel medicine: what's involved? When to refer?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the practice of travel medicine, provide the basics of a comprehensive pretravel consultation for international travelers, and assist in identifying patients who might require referral to travel medicine professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Guidelines and recommendations on travel medicine and travel-related illnesses by national and international travel health authorities were reviewed. MEDLINE and EMBASE searches for related literature were also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Travel medicine is a highly dynamic specialty that focuses on pretravel preventive care. A comprehensive risk assessment for each individual traveler is essential in order to accurately evaluate traveler-, itinerary-, and destination-specific risks, and to advise on the most appropriate risk management interventions to promote health and prevent adverse health outcomes during travel. Vaccinations might also be required and should be personalized according to the individual traveler's immunization history, travel itinerary, and the amount of time available before departure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A traveler's health and safety depends on a practitioner's level of expertise in providing pretravel counseling and vaccinations, if required. Those who advise travelers are encouraged to be aware of the extent of this responsibility and to refer all high-risk travelers to travel medicine professionals whenever possible.
authors.affiliation: Medical Director of the International Travel Clinic at Ultimate Health Medical Centre in Richmond Hill, Ont. brianaw@rogers.com.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aw
authors.affiliation: Medical Director of Vancouver Coastal Health Travel Clinic in British Columbia.
authors.forename: Suni
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boraston
authors.affiliation: Medical Director at Timbuktu Travel Medicine in Halifax, NS.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Botten
authors.affiliation: An active staff physician in the Department of Family Medicine at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre in British Columbia.
authors.forename: Darin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cherniwchan
authors.affiliation: Lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto in Ontario and is Clinic Head at the Markham Travel Clinic in Ontario.
authors.forename: Hyder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fazal
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and Medical Director of the Complete Traveler's Clinic in Toronto.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kelton
authors.affiliation: Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Centre for Tropical Diseases at the McGill University Health Centre and is Associate Professor of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Que.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Libman
authors.affiliation: Medical Director at the Peel Travel Clinic in Mississauga, Ont.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saldanha
authors.affiliation: Medical Director at the Travel Medicine Centre in Toronto.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scappatura
authors.affiliation: A pharmacist at and the owner of The Prescription Shop at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ont.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stowe
mesh_terms: D037001:Directive Counseling; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014195:Travel; D057236:Travel Medicine; D014611:Vaccination