The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Feb 2014
Paediatric aeromedical retrievals in the 'Top End' of the Northern Territory.
The primary objective of this study was to describe the remote paediatric aeromedical population of the 'Top End' of the Northern Territory. The secondary objective was to identify children requiring high-dependency care by the transport team. ⋯ The majority of paediatric aeromedical patients have an infective cause for their illness. Respiratory disease is the most common indication for aeromedical transport. The majority of patients are transferred by a flight nurse and do not require high-dependency care. The main risk factor identified for requiring high-dependency care during transport is respiratory distress in a newborn infant.
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Aust J Rural Health · Feb 2014
Comparative StudyExploring the acceptability of online sexually transmissible infection testing for rural young people in Victoria.
To examine the availability of and previous engagement with health services among rural young people and compare barriers and facilitators to using face-to-face and online sexual health testing and treatment. ⋯ Free online testing services address issues of access for rural young people. While barriers external to rural sexual health services may remain, free online STI testing services are acceptable to these rural young people.
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There is a paucity of data regarding the provision of consultative outreach specialist surgical services to rural areas. This paper aims to describe a model of outreach consultative practice to deliver specialist surgical services to rural communities. ⋯ Outreach surgical consulting provides surgeons with a larger referral base and provides communities with better access to local specialists. Outreach practice should be encouraged for surgeons in regional centres.
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Aust J Rural Health · Dec 2013
Issues that impact on Aboriginal health workers' and registered nurses' provision of diabetes health care in rural and remote health settings.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an established health problem for Indigenous Australians. One strategy to address this issue is to educate health professionals in diabetes management and education. ⋯ The conclusion from this study indicates that if the delivery of diabetes health services to Indigenous Australians is to improve it is necessary to address these identified issues.
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Aust J Rural Health · Oct 2013
ReviewWhat small rural emergency departments do: a systematic review of observational studies.
Small rural emergency facilities are an important part of emergency care in many countries. We performed a systematic review of observational studies to determine what is known about the patients these small rural emergency facilities treat, what types of interventions they undertake and how well they perform. ⋯ There is only enough evidence in the literature to make the most basic inferences about what small rural emergency departments do. To allow evidence-based improvement, descriptive studies must employ measures and methods validated in the wider emergency medicine literature, and other research techniques should be considered.