The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2013
Improving eye care for Indigenous Australians in primary health care settings.
This paper aims to assess the barriers and solutions to the delivery of eye care in primary care settings and solutions to improve the use of comprehensive eye care among Indigenous Australians. ⋯ Primary health care services have an important role in Indigenous eye health. There is a critical role for primary care in the coordination of the patient journey and cooperating with other services to improve access to comprehensive eye care. Through improved provision of primary eye care, monitoring of Indigenous eye health indicators and supporting patients to access eye care, it is possible to close the gap for vision.
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2013
Training general practitioners in remote Western Australia in a method of screening and brief intervention for harmful alcohol use: a pilot study.
High levels of alcohol-related harm are a salient feature of many rural communities in Australia. General practitioners (GPs) are uniquely placed to identify and treat patients with harmful alcohol use in remote settings, yet corresponding opportunities for education in effective brief psychological interventions for harmful alcohol use are limited. This study piloted a training model for alcohol screening and brief intervention for GPs working in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, a remote Western Australian community facing significant alcohol-related problems. ⋯ Preliminary findings suggest that among participating GPs, subsequent compliance with identification and management of harmful alcohol use was improved. Further work examining methods to improve rural and remote GP participation in alcohol-related harm prevention training is required, as the potential impact on communities with disproportionately high alcohol-related difficulties is significant.
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2013
Attracting psychologists to practice in rural Australia: the role of work values and perceptions of the rural work environment.
To investigate whether psychologists' career/work values and perceptions of the rural work environment influence their intentions or choice to practise in a rural location beyond the effect of rural background. ⋯ Recruitment and retention strategies to address the shortage of mental health professionals in rural areas need to consider perceptions of the work environment and how to fulfil practitioners' work values.
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Aust J Rural Health · Dec 2012
Unintentional paediatric poisoning in rural Victoria: incidence and admission rates.
Unintentional paediatric poisoning is one of the leading causes of childhood emergency department presentations in Australia. This study aimed to assess the incidence and hospital admission rates of unintentional paediatric poisonings in rural Victoria. ⋯ Although rates of paediatric poisoning seem to be lower in this particular rural setting, admission rates continue to be significantly higher than comparative urban figures. Further research and education is needed to gain a better understanding of this important public health topic.
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This paper offers theories to explain persistent rural health challenges and describes their application to rural health and research. ⋯ To move beyond its current stage, rural health needs to look to other disciplines' theories and ideas; particularly, it needs a more contemporary understanding of what place means so that health status and service provision can be improved by more thoughtful research.