Volume five, Issue 1

This issue of Rural and Remote Health marks a significant change in the management structure of the Journal.

Rural health services enjoy managers who have experience of working 'on the floor'. But do we provide adequate management training for clinicians who are promoted to such a role? This article, from rural Australia, explores this important issue.

What factors in student rural placements impact on student attitudes? Read what this group discovered.

Rural communities are often described as 'close-knit'. This can have both advantages and disadvantages. This article looks at this issue from the perspectives of those who identify as same-sex attracted women.

Activities of daily living are important indicators of the functional status and wellbeing of older persons. This Spanish cross-sectional study offers an objective guide for studying activities related to the life-style of older people in rural and urban community settings.

Recruitment and retention of rural practitioners are important subjects in the current health policy agenda of many European countries. The authors of this article carried out a survey of primary healthcare professionals in the Scottish Highlands in order to explore whether the internationally identified determinants of recruitment and retention of the rural health workforce apply in the area. This survey confirms the association between rural background and rural working, and indicates also that professional isolation and perceived lack of access to amenities are important issues for those working in rural areas. It may be of interest not only for rural practitioners across Europe but also for health planners and policy makers.

This article summarises the key issues discussed in a EURIPA Day (Belgrade, June 2004), in addition there are several statements on emergency rural health. Problems are illustrated with the proposals for improvement, and rural practitioners and health planners from other European countries facing the same problems will find this contribution interesting.

Remote Practitioners' Association of Scotland, Annual Conference, November 2004

Teleconferencing is a necessity in most rural environments. This enjoyable article includes helpful tips and a collection of experiences of great value.

TB is a major killer worldwide. But how much of its impact is attributable to simple household behaviours? This letter from India raises some thought provoking hypotheses in this regard.

The author of this letter asks, "Why are we still seeing a reduction in services in rural hospitals?"

This letter to the editor offers a unique solution to the problem of retaining rural GPs in small communities.