Volume thirteen, Issue 2

In this time of rapid change in the United States, Accountable Care begins to exert an influence, offering the opportunity to better address the healthcare needs of rural populations. But are Rural Health Clinics adapting to the new designs? This timely publication reports what Rural Health Clinic managers think about potential changes to finances, quality, and personnel.

Mature GPs from rural NSW Australia have their say about strategies and other factors that will keep them in the workforce beyond retirement age.

This interesting a secondary analysis of narrative and pictorial data generated information about contributors and challenges to the mental health of Canadian senior rural women. The methodology will be of interest to qualitative researchers; the findings will inform program and community planners.

James Cook University's School of Medicine was established with a mission to address the health needs of rural, remote and tropical Australia. Does early evidence on the first six cohorts' career outcomes support this?

The 'realist methodology' included selected grey literature in this traditional systematic review. The result is a value-added determination of cultural and learning factors for South Pacific health personnel that will be of equal interest to other researchers and rural educators.

Will Queensland's landmark 'Rural Generalist Pathway' fulfil its promise to redress rural medical workforce issues? This review of the principles and implementation of the pathway, including challenges, will be of great interest to those watching from other Australian states as their own rural generalist training programs are rolled out.

With a high prevalence of HIV and TB In South Africa, integrated treatment programs are preferred - but does this disadvantage rural patients? This comparative, primary-care program evaluation offers new understandings in multi-dimensions.

Rural primary-care clinicians need knowledge and support resources when faced with dental emergencies. The short Australian dental-emergency workshop and resource kit described may be widely useful for rural ED physicians.

Rural areas often need additional health professionals and developing local educational sources has been touted as one solution. This article discusses a novel policy simulation to determine if a rural-based dental school would be the best solution in a specific US rural location - an exercise that may assist with strategic workforce planning for other disciplines in other rural locations.

Evidence joins policy in this background to the establishment of Queensland's Rural Generalist Pathway in Australia.

Distance presents an enormous challenge to pharmacists working in rural and remote Australia. This landmark study provides an extensive overview of the rural/remote pharmacy workforce, including their diverse roles and contexts, satisfaction with their work and professional issues.

Rural and remote health remains challenging for 1 billion people who are without basics such as improved water sources. This study compares diarrheal disease across three different communities by water supply.

As the population ages, cardiac-valve aortic stenosis becomes more prevalent. Are remote-area patients with this condition disadvantaged by later presentation in Scotland?

Conducting research is challenging enough but the challenge is heightened when participants come from diverse backgrounds. This article highlights strategies to assist with equity in recruiting Aboriginal participants, and these can be used by other researchers struggling with similar issues.

Much remains to be done to protect pregnant women against anaemia, especially in resource-low settings. This Ugandan study identifies correctable public health issues that will assist efforts in similar regions.

Authentic early experience in clinical contexts is a now cornerstone of medical education. A well-known Australian educator begins the discussion of how to equitably use the finite teaching capacity of the Australian healthcare system in medical education.

Sustainable medical school-Indigenous community partnerships are possible. This Australian project report shows how.

Aboriginal patients in need of end-of-life care are unlikely to access palliative care services. This review asks why, and outlines the basis for more appropriate care models for these first Australians.

Food security in rural environments and among rural people is a topic that has generated much discussion. This article offers an analysis of food security issues among Canadian First Nations people in an isolated area by providing historical and social contexts.

This locational aspect of a large study from Spain adds rural women's experience of menopause to the literature.

Four Australian nurses speak as one, adding the new graduate perspective to the current FIFO debate.

With access to timely revascularisation essential for acute coronary patients, the most remote PCI service in the UK examines outcomes for rural patients before and after introduction of that local service.

Parental accommodation is a key consideration in pediatric oncology, especially for rural families faced with long distances to treatment. This small but thoughtful study from Sydney Children's Hospital explored multiple aspects of travelling families' accommodation needs and experiences.

How can current health services can be tailored to address the needs of American Indigenous communities? This review article on health ownership provides much food for thought and its recommendations may be applicable in geographic areas beyond the USA.

A study of breast cancer screening is a good measure of progress in healthcare delivery. Are patients identified at earlier stages in this study from Brazil?

This detailed Nigerian report of a successful undergraduate rural-immersion dental program will assist others to put theory into practice.

China's New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme was designed to provide affordable health care for rural residents who faced potential impoverishment due to medical expenses. This policy report describes the wide-ranging scheme's 2003 roll-out in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where the high ethnic minority population posed special policy challenges.

The recent implementation of a regionalized medical program (undergraduate rural clinical clerkship) in Sweden provides useful management insights for medical educators yet to introduce this innovation, and for those with well established programs.

Racial prejudice, an everyday experience for Aboriginal people in Australia, has detrimental effects on mental and physical health. But negative, prejudicial attitudes among healthcare professionals can increase existing access barriers to services. This study used three tools to examine negative attitudes towards Aboriginal Australians, and suggests an opportunity to address racial prejudice in undergraduate curricula.

Multiple Mini-Interview is increasingly utilized for medical school admissions. Certain personal characteristics are noted to have greater or lesser MMI scores. Is rural origin such a characteristic and what would this mean with regard to rural origin admission rates, already too low?

This landmark ophthalmic study from a rural primary care facility in Nigeria examined a decade of surgical eye removal for cause. The results offer an evidence base to assist those concerned for better access to modern eye care in developing nations globally.

How to meet the needs of Indigenous Australian patients and communities when planning research and providing clinical care - a must-read for all who are committed to 'Closing the Gap'.

With an increase of asthma among First Nations groups, there is increasing need for asthma education materials for use with this population. This mixed methods evaluation of materials currently available for First Nations groups provides useful recommendations.