Education for Chronic Disease Course

CSRT
20 CEUs
The aim of the educator-client partnership is to enable the client to gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills to assume a major role in the management of their disease. Self-management skills promote improved understanding and confidence in managing the condition, enhanced treatment satisfaction, better adherence to treatment/management and improved quality of life.
The RESPTREC® Education for Chronic Disease Course remains the foundation for learning to apply educational theory to practice. The course has been developed to meet the Canadian Network for Respiratory Care (CNRC) Foundational Health Education Competencies. A copy of the competencies can be found on the CNRC website.
Note: Participants are required to complete the Education, Asthma and COPD courses in order to be eligible to write the Certified Respiratory Educator (CRE) examination.
Curriculum includes:
- Health Promotion and Education
- Communication
- Educational Interventions
- Technology
- Professional Practice
- Evaluation

CHAPTER: Health Promotion and Education
- Apply the World Health Organization's (WHO) Social Determinants of Health when working with individuals and communities.
- Apply the principles of Primary Health Care.
- Differentiate among the three levels of health promotion and disease prevention:
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
- Integrate theoretical frameworks of health promotion and care into practice:
- Expanded Chronic Care Model (ECCM)
- PRECEDE-PROCEED Model
- Social Support Theory
- Integrate principles of client-centred care into practice (individual, family, community).
- Identify his/her role in an overall health promotion strategy.
- Identify the role of the learner in an overall health promotion strategy.
- Apply the principles of health education.
- Describe the education process in terms of teaching and learning.
- Integrate teaching and learning theories into practice:
- Behaviorism
- Constructivism
- Humanism
- Cognitivism
- Identify obstacles to learning for persons with chronic disease.
- Apply theories of behavior change with clients:
- Social Learning Theory (Social Cognitive Theory)
- Self-Efficacy Theory
- Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior
- Apply models of behavior change with clients:
- Health Belief Model
- PRECEDE/PROCEED Model
- Transtheoretical Model
- Confidence and Conviction Model
CHAPTER: Communication
- Use verbal and non-verbal communication to optimize the teaching and learning process.
- Integrate the style and spirit of Motivational Interviewing (MI) into practice.
- Demonstrate the core MI skills:
- OARS
- Change Talk (DARN CAT)
CHAPTER: Educational Interventions
- Assess the following characteristics and needs related to learning:
- Determinants of Health
- Motivation and Readiness to Learn
- Learning Preferences and Interests
- Developmental Stage of the Learner
- Health Literacy
- Abilities (Physical, Cognitive)
- Health (Concurrent Diseases and Disorders)
- Culture
- Collaborate with the client to prioritize learning objectives.
- Collaborate with the client to determine learning objectives that are smart (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound).
- Describe and apply effective instructional methods for use with learners in both individual and group settings.
- Identify and apply effective and appropriate instructional materials for the learner.
CHAPTER: Technology
- Describe and apply technologies that benefit client education.
CHAPTER: Professional Practice
- Describe and apply ethical principles when conducting client education:
- Autonomy
- Veracity
- Confidentiality
- Non-maleficence
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Describe and apply strategies for effective teamwork, including how to:
- Work as an effective team member
- Practice inter-professional and intersectoral collaboration
- Collaborate with client's family and social supports
CHAPTER: Evaluation
- Define and describe the focus of evaluation.
- Describe and apply the types of evaluation.
- Evaluate the client's ability to apply the knowledge and skills necessary to optimize chronic disease management.
The RESPTREC® Education for Chronic Disease Course is suitable for all health care professionals who work with clients who have one or more chronic diseases. The course competencies and content are transferrable to many chronic diseases. The skills practiced and knowledge gained can be applied to clinical and client education areas where health care professionals work with individuals and families who are affected by chronic disease such as respiratory, cardiac and diabetes.
Participants must meet the following entrance criteria:
- hold a degree/diploma in a recognized health care profession and work in the health care field
- scope of practice includes counselling clients
If there is a question regarding met criteria, acceptance to the program will be made on an individual basis and at the discretion of the RESPTREC® Management committee.
The RESPTREC® Education for Chronic Disease Course was launched in 2015.
A wide range of representatives from health disciplines and endorsing agencies were involved in curriculum development including: the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS - COPD Clinical Assembly and authors of guidelines and publications), Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals (CRHP), Family Physician's Airways Group of Canada (FPAGC), The Lung Association, clinicians, researchers, certified respiratory educators, pharmacy, respiratory therapy, nursing and physical therapy.
RESPTREC® would like to acknowledge and thank the following members of the Education for Chronic Disease course Expert Committee for their contributions to the development of this course:
- Diane Conley RRT CRE (CHRP)
- Karen Davis RD MCEd CDE, CRE
- John Gjevre MD FRCPC (CTS)
- Donna Goodridge PhD RN CHPCN(c)
- Brian Graham PhD
- Allan Kaplan MD CCFP(EM) FCFP FPAC (Chair FPAGC)
- Judy King PhD MHSc BHSc PT
- Trent Litzenberger BScPT BSPE CRE
- Martha McKinney MD MPH (CTS Pediatric Assembly)
- Jan Neumann BPT CRE
- Donna Rennie PhD (Epidemiology) RN CAE
- Margot Underwood MN RN CRE
Program Manager - RESPTREC®
- Lori Nagy, DIP, Admin SBC
Graphics design support
- Aminah Jomha, BA, DIP, Graphic Design/New Media Production
RESPTREC® would also like to thank Janet Sutherland, Executive Director, Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS)/ Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals (CRHP), for ongoing support of RESPTREC® and its programs.
The hours invested in completing this course can be included in your continuing professional education learning portfolio.
Accredited Study Credits

The Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
Title: Education - Chronic Disease Management Educator Course
Number of CEUs: 20
Date Accredited: 2023-06-22
Accreditation Expiry Date: 2025-06-30