Volume fourteen, Issue 4

This Editorial marks the 2014 launch of the Latin American regional section of RRH, under Professor Leonardo Vieira Targa's leadership. Its message is clear: "Read, contribute and publicise!", with the aim of improving the health of all rural Latin American populations.

To improve health practice in a given location, established principles must be locally, and culturally, relevant. Building on previous publications, these authors address the development of pharmaceutical curriculum in Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

Are rural patients with acute ischemic stroke still at greater risk of morbidity? This study is from Poland.

Is formal self-management the solution for ageing and underserved US rural residents with chronic health conditions?

There is little available literature on sexual assaults in rural areas. This qualitative study included interviews with legal experts to generate information about their experiences. The results will be useful not only for forensic nursing, but also for other rural-based community workers and agencies.

Based on intervention research, the authors discuss three key findings related to dental care among Aboriginal children in Canada.

This study reports on the development of a culturally-adapted activity to address early childhood caries, a significant issue among Aboriginal communities in Canada, and in other Indigenous groups globally.

For rural dwellers, the outcome of an eye disorder is likely to depend on timely access to appropriate care. Barriers to ideal care in Nigeria were identified, and also remedies suggested.

In remote Scotland, rurality and distance may no longer impede diagnostic accuracy for GP-managed patients with heart failure.

In India, where early diagnosis is key to TB control, are secondary rural hospitals offering diagnostic and treatment practices to national standards?

An intriguing Australian study that challenges 'current wisdom' and the economics of providing clinical services to remote communities.

This commentary suggests the issue of credentialing Australian Indigenous health workers is as complex as their scope of practice, while offering new factors for consideration.

Those who live in rural and remote areas where access to healthcare services is reduced need the highest quality primary health care. This Australian commentary reflects on PHC performance: as it was, as it is now, and what can be learned.

An international review that offers a definition to encompass the wide scope of practice of an, as yet, poorly defined Australian paramedic group.

An information-rich review that will raise clinical awareness of this emerging infectious disease for those working with rural and other populations.

Short communication presents technology that can bypass recall delays for patients with diabetes who live in remote locations.

Medical schools have a poor track record with regard to addressing workforce for Aboriginal cultures. Much effort is required to redirect student experiences before and during training. Visit this important area of rural and remote health with the Northern Ontario authors.

In a widely dispersed rural population, is there a way to identify individuals at risk with diabetes, potentially saving the burden of travel to services - and loss of vision.

Personal view offers guidance for managers to align MPS with unique rural/remote community needs.