Volume eighteen, Issue 1

Although education is a key component in the management of type 2 diabetes, group sessions are less feasible in rural areas because of distance, participant numbers and access to appropriately trained healthcare professionals. This study assessed the access and delivery preferences of remote and rural service users in the Scottish Highlands and Islands to structured diabetes education programs.

This policy report describes how Memorial University of Newfoundland's rural focused medical school program is achieving its social accountability outcomes related to producing rural doctors. The authors use a geospatial approach to provide an in-depth look at their rural generalist pathways to rural generalist practice. They highlight lessons learned, including the importance of a collaborative commitment from government, university, practicing physicians, healthcare providers, patients, rural communities and their leaders.

Rural recruitment and retention of physicians is a global problem. This retrospective cohort study examined the practice locations of graduates from Memorial University of Newfoundland's medical school and found they were more likely to practice in rural areas compared to graduates from other Canadian medical schools. The success of the Memorial program is attributed to the comprehensive, rural focused, social accountability approach to medical education.

This Personal View is a student's reflections on her rural placements in the Shetland Islands.

This scoping review examines the literature on decentralised training platforms (DTPs) for medical education, with particular attention to rural context. Findings highlight DTP strategies and models as well as areas for further research to examine DTP impact on health services and human resources outcomes.

This article reports on the results of a cross-sectional study examining factors influencing smoking behaviour among women in rural areas. Findings might assist in the design of tobacco control interventions for rural women.

This study utilised the South Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine differences in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) exposure between rural and urban adults, and their relationship to adult health behaviours and chronic health conditions. Findings provide insight in ACE exposure and impacts in adulthood among rural residents as well as suggestions for further research, policy, and program development.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing health concern worldwide and is associated with a high risk of developing diabetic retinopathy (DR). Preventive care through regular eye examinations and proper management of DM and hypertension can reduce the risk of vision loss from DR, though knowledge of these conditions is low. This research examines the knowledge, attitude and practice related to DM, hypertension and DR of patient populations at different levels of a pyramidal model of eye health care in Hyderabad, India.

The prevalence of chronic disease, mortality and suicide rates is higher in rural Australia than in urban centres. This study compared barriers to help-seeking for physical and mental health issues among rural South Australian adults.

‘Socially accountable, community-engaged’ health professional education (SAHPE) has contributed to increased medical coverage across rural and/or economically disadvantaged areas in two Philippines regions. The extensive community-based medical student placements associated with SAHPE likely play a significant role in graduates choosing to practice in rural and/or economically disadvantaged communities.

The WHO recommends delaying umbilical cord clamping until 1 min after birth for term and pre-term infants who do not require positive-pressure ventilation, increasing an infant’s blood volume and birth iron stores. This Research Letter reports on a project to promote delayed umbilical cord clamping in a rural Mexican hospital.

Extended lifespans, urbanization, a sedentary lifestyle and changes in nutritional habits following medical and technological developments have all increased the prevalence of diabetes, making it a significant public health problem worldwide. This study aimed to determine the disease management self-efficacy level for patients with type 2 diabetes living in a rural area of Turkey.

Given challenges in access to speciality care in rural and remote regions, it is critical to examine team-based and telemedicine approaches for treatment of dermatological conditions. This case study examines the Dermatology ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) approach in treatment and management of complex and common skin diseases.

Accessing relatively small populations spread over large geographical areas is a challenge of conducting research in rural and remote areas. This study investigated whether meaningful and informative data could be obtained from short responses from open-ended survey questions using an automated data analysis technique.

The Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) service is a non-clinical, community-based Australian Government initiative aimed at increasing opportunities for recovery for people whose lives are severely affected by mental illness. This study examines how these strengths-based recovery services are developed and function in low resource rural settings and what outcomes are achieved.

The University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) program aims to provide education and training facilities in non-metropolitan centres, thereby helping to attract health professionals to practise in rural and remote communities. Since their inception 20 years ago, UDRHs have become well-integrated entities, effectively embedded within their regional communities. This evaluation shows that UDRHs are making a difference based on an assessment of geographical coverage and activity, relevant contribution, and engagement in rural and remote communities.

In 2012, the new profession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioner (ATSIHP) was registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009. This commentary shares a north Queensland experience of the process of training and registering ATSIHPs in Queensland through accredited skills recognition and upskilling training.