Canadian journal of rural medicine : the official journal of the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada = Journal canadien de la médecine rurale : le journal officiel de la Société de médecine rurale du Canada
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Comparative Study
Rural-urban differences in emergency department wait times.
I sought to determine whether emergency department (ED) volume is associated with differing ED wait times. ⋯ Among the hospitals studied, rural EDs had the shortest wait times for both low- and high-acuity patients.
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In 2008, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) conducted a survey of rural practitioners. The survey covered incentives to choose rural medicine, current satisfaction, plans for future migration and strategies for retention. ⋯ Although increasingly common, cash incentives are not the main reason physicians choose rural practice. Practice and lifestyle factors are even more important. Communities need to focus as much on retention issues to protect their investment in the long term.
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Chronic pain is prevalent, complex and most effectively treated by a multidisciplinary team, particularly if psychosocial issues are dominant. The limited access to and high costs of such services are often prohibitive for the rural patient. We describe the development and 18-month outcomes of a small multidisciplinary chronic pain management program run out of a physician's office in rural Alberta. ⋯ Successful multidisciplinary chronic pain management services can be provided in a rural setting.
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The rate of return visits at urban emergency departments (EDs) has been reported as approximately 3% within 72 hours of discharge. However, the current literature does not indicate the rate of return visits for rural EDs. The purpose of this study was to determine the bounce-back rate at a rural ED and to characterize the visits. ⋯ This study demonstrates that the bounce-back rate at a rural ED is similar to that at an urban ED. Most return visits are for low-acuity conditions, and unspecified abdominal pain represents the most common return diagnosis.