Australian Journal of Rural Health最新文献

{"title":"Walk for Mental Well-Being as a Third Place: A Qualitative Study of the Bathurst Men's Walk and Talk","authors":"Peter Simmons,&nbsp;Uchechukwu Levi Osuagwu,&nbsp;Hazel Dalton,&nbsp;Julaine Allan,&nbsp;John Eme,&nbsp;Tracy Macfarlane,&nbsp;Haider Mannan","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To explore processes that engage rural men in a weekly, enduring, community-volunteer-organised walk for mental well-being, and compare with characteristics of <i>Third Places</i> (relaxing social places that are neither home nor work).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Setting</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Bathurst, regional city population 44 939 (2024), New South Wales, Australia.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Participants</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Bathurst Men's Walk and Talk (BMWT) walkers tend to be older and in a married/defacto relationship. More than one-third score low on mental well-being indices.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In-depth semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 20) with walkers (13) and leaders (7) of the BMWT were thematically analysed, inductively and deductively.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Main Outcome Measures</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Interviewee descriptions of experiences of BMWT and its impacts reported against Oldenburg's (1989/1999) eight characteristics of <i>Third place</i>, and use of rituals.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>BMWT is more routinised but has essential characteristics of an ideal <i>Third place</i>. BMWT accentuates the essence of <i>Third place</i> including welcome, inclusion, conversation and belonging to the group. BMWT balances culture and structures that meet diverse needs for connection and enjoyment in the manner of a <i>Third place</i>, while communicating safety and reassurance required for men who seek or need support for mental well-being. Interviewees reported mood and well-being benefits from BMWT physical activity, social interaction and belonging.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Thoughtful planning can increase health-giving social interaction and feelings of belonging consistent with <i>Third place</i> experiences. In rural areas where men often miss out on mental well-being support, <i>Third place</i> provides a framework to guide individual group and community planning.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70066","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144339572","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging the Urban and Regional Divide in Stroke Care (BUILDS): A Novel Telestroke Unit Service","authors":"Lauren Arthurson,&nbsp;Suzanne Harrison,&nbsp;Benjamin Clissold,&nbsp;Christopher Bladin,&nbsp;Glenn Howlett,&nbsp;Felix Ng,&nbsp;Philip M. C. Choi","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Problem</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>People living in rural areas of Australia have an increased risk of stroke. Reperfusion decision support is increasingly available in these areas however, access to acute stroke unit care is limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Setting</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>An acute telestroke unit pilot was implemented in a regional health service in Victoria.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Key Measures for Improvement</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Change in diagnosis post specialist evaluation, patient and staff satisfaction, length of stay, percentage of patients discharged with anti-platelets and care plan provision.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Strategies for Change</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Partnership between metro-based stroke specialists and an onsite stroke coordinator based in a regional site. Early engagement of key decision makers (i.e., hospital executive).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Effects of Changes</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This model increased diagnostic accuracy and decreased resource use including diagnostic tests, patient transfers and staff deployment. Patients, families and staff reported high levels of satisfaction. The pilot transitioned to a sustainable health service funded model, embedded into ‘usual’ care. The BUILDS pilot enabled stroke unit certification of the regional health service.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Lessons Learnt</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Telestroke unit model, enabled by an adequately resourced local stroke coordinator, could be the key to ensure all regional Australians have access to stroke unit care.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fair Funding for Rural Health, an Urgent Call","authors":"Susanne Tegen","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70058","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;The Albanese Government now has the opportunity to swiftly advance the numerous reviews and recommendations to ensure health equity for all Australians. The reviews developed in collaboration with stakeholders, including the National Rural Health Alliance (the Alliance) during their first term, recommended innovative solutions, which will go a considerable way in supporting rural, remote and regional communities, as well as urban centres. The government must now ensure that it implements grassroots recommendations, as it is there that flexible implementation and funding are needed the most. The Alliance is standing by to work hand in hand with the government to ensure that no one continues to be left behind.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Alliance has worked closely with the first-term government on the &lt;i&gt;Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce: Scope of Practice Review&lt;/i&gt;, the &lt;i&gt;Strengthening Medicare Measures&lt;/i&gt;, the &lt;i&gt;National Medical Workforce Strategy&lt;/i&gt;, and the &lt;i&gt;Australian Digital Health Workforce Strategy&lt;/i&gt;. With solutions at hand, the newly elected government is now tasked with taking this a step further by putting words into practice and funding in place. Rural, regional, and remote communities rely heavily on the government's policy, funding, and flexibility to achieve health equity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Alliance, through its work with its members, communities and other stakeholders, considers every day how we can ensure that workable solutions are provided to the government. We need to ensure that expenditure in healthcare delivery, research, workforce training and education, as well as infrastructure and systems that underpin the health and wellbeing of rural Australians, is equitable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The fact that rural populations are sicker than urban individuals is not new. Rather, it is getting worse with remote men dying up to 13.6 years and rural women 12.7 years earlier than in urban Australia.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It remains disappointing and unacceptable for a Western country to treat 30% of the population that provides for Australia's economic wellbeing as a burden, rather than a population that is valued, important and treated equitably. The first-term government's reforms promise to break down these barriers and inequities, and the Alliance eagerly awaits to see positive results.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The solutions are also in the context of the annual $6.55 billion health underspend in rural Australia compared to city expenditure. It is also important to factor in Australia's reliance on rural Australia for its economic contribution and vibrant and positive lifestyle status, despite the high cost of living and climate challenges such as drought, flooding and other extreme weather events.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Alliance has been working with the Department of Health and Aged Care to provide positive solutions, rather than tweak policies around the edges. Medicare, while very much valued, is but one tool. Equitable access requires more than Medicare. The investment of $8.5 billion to ","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144256277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Western Australia's First and Regional General Practitioner Psychiatry Phone Line to Improve Primary Mental Health Care: Indicators of Effectiveness and Sustainability: A Non-Controlled Population-Based Interventional Study","authors":"Hanh Ngo,&nbsp;Michael Taran,&nbsp;Beatriz Cuesta-Briand,&nbsp;Kelly Ridley,&nbsp;Mathew Coleman","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70062","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective(s)</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To assess the impact of a regional General Practitioner Psychiatry Phone Line (GPPPL), embedded in a public Community Mental Health service (CMHS) on the wider health service's workflow and systemic outcomes.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Non-controlled population-based interventional study.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Setting</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Public CMHS in the Great Southern region of Western Australia (WA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Participants</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Aggregated monthly data on (i) referrals to the CMHS (July 2017–March 2022), and (ii) Emergency Department presentations (July 2017–May 2022) were obtained from the West Australian Country Health Service.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Intervention</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Introduction of a regional GPPPL, for local publicly employed psychiatrists to provide specialist mental health care advice to General Practitioners working in the same region.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Main Outcome Measures</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Service input: Number of calls to the GPPPL, call duration and frequency.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Service output: Rate of referrals to the CMHS, and rate of Emergency Department presentations related to mental health issues, and alcohol and other drugs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The number of weekly calls to the GPPPL decreased (slope −0.13, 95% CI −0.17, −0.08; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) over the course of the one-year pilot. The referral rate to CMHS was approximately 70.5 referrals per 1000 person-years in July 2017, and quite steady pre-GPPPL (<i>p</i> = 0.9283), then reduced significantly post-GPPPL, by 1.7 (95% CI 0.14, 3.26; <i>p</i> = 0.0372) referrals per 1000 person-years each month.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study has demonstrated the GPPPL's effectiveness in reducing the referral rates to CMHS and its self-sustainability. The psychiatrists involved were able to continue full-time public service roles while running the phoneline, with a decreasing time demand over the one-year pilot.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70062","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144244627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Experience of Rural Undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing Students Engaging With a Nurse Tutor: A Descriptive Study","authors":"Elise Ryan,&nbsp;Rebecca Broadbent,&nbsp;Maree Bernoth","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The objective of this study was to understand the experience of rural undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students engaging with a nurse tutor, enabled through a Regional University Study Hub.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Participants</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ten rural undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students who engaged with a community-based academic nurse tutor programme.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A descriptive design and data collection through an online questionnaire and telephone interviews using semi-structured questions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Engaging a support structure that is external to the university for rural, undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing students provided a safe environment for the students to explore technical academic concepts and gain clarity with topics and assessment tasks. The participants felt reticent to share their uncertainties with lecturers. This was particularly significant for mature-aged and first-in-family students.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The collaborative partnership between a university, community, Regional University Study Hub, and industry is a model for future initiatives aimed at ensuring the success of rural students in completing tertiary education and building the rural health workforce.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70065","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144245064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taking a Strengths-Based Approach to Mental Health in Rural Communities: What Is the Evidence for Harnessing Strengths?","authors":"Annika Luebbe,&nbsp;Sandra Diminic,&nbsp;Zoe Rutherford,&nbsp;Hannah Roovers,&nbsp;Mikesh Patel,&nbsp;Harvey Whiteford","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70061","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to determine if rural community strengths identified in the literature have been causally linked to improved mental health and whether these strengths have been harnessed in interventions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A secondary analysis of a systematic review of literature from Australia, Canada and the USA identified 28 studies that proposed a conceptual relationship to improved mental health. Studies were categorised, their distribution across a socioecological framework was assessed, and evidence of causality was evaluated.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Among 28 studies, 24 were analytical and focused mainly on community strengths, with four interventional studies that addressed both personnel and community strengths. None established a causal relationship, including those that harnessed strengths in interventions.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although rural strengths have been associated with improved mental health, evidence on causality, effectiveness and mechanisms for harnessing remains limited. Strengthening the evidence base is critical to justify incorporating rural strengths into mental health commissioning.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70061","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144244628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surgery During the Pandemic in a Public Hospital in South West Victoria, Australia: A Regional/Rural Perspective","authors":"Thomas J. Neerhut,&nbsp;Jacob Gordon,&nbsp;Margaret J. Rogers,&nbsp;Susan Brereton,&nbsp;Simon A. Williams","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In Victoria, the onset of COVID-19 resulted in restricted entry to metropolitan areas, and lockdowns were a common occurrence. Our health services adapted and changed procedures. Surgical services were limited to urgent cases, while staff were redirected to support COVID-19 health care. This study documents the experience of surgical services in a public hospital serving a rural and regional population in south-west Victoria.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cohort study.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>All patients who had operations at University Hospital Geelong, the major regional hospital in south-west Victoria, were included in this study. Operations pre-pandemic (2019), during the pandemic (2020–2022) and late pandemic (2023) were recorded. The flow of procedures within each subspecialty, cancellations and the waiting list are reported.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>From July 2019 until June 2023, there were 76 098 operations performed with the largest number of operations by general surgery (17 610), plastics and reconstruction (10 560), obstetrics and gynaecology (10 848) and orthopaedics (8376). Emergency procedures peaked at 41% in 2020. Urology experienced the highest percentage increase for operations in 2023 (by 40%), followed by obstetrics and gynaecology (15%), general surgery (14%), otolaryngology (14%), orthopaedics (12%), ophthalmology (11%) and vascular surgery (9%). Staff not available was a reason for cancellation of surgery and the wait list increased by 121% in 2022.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The wait list late pandemic far exceeds that of pre pandemic, increasing the potential to exacerbate regional/rural Victoria's limited access to care. The significant impact on various surgical specialties in regional hospitals requires refocus to ensure that the elective surgery waitlist is addressed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144220094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating and Expanding Rural Victorian Community Pharmacists Role in Providing Oral Healthcare","authors":"Erica Stelfox,&nbsp;Joseph Tucci,&nbsp;Virginia Dickson-Swift,&nbsp;Santosh Kumar Tadakamadla","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70059","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To investigate rural pharmacists' perceptions of oral health services they provide in towns without dental practitioners and how to best expand their role.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Setting</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Community pharmacists are well placed to provide oral health services in rural areas where oral health is poorer and access to dental care is limited. Pharmacists' views on oral health advice delivery and how to best expand their role in oral health need to be assessed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Participants</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants were community pharmacists practicing in small rural towns without a dental practitioner in Victoria, Australia.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Eleven community pharmacists participated in semi-structured telephone interviews that were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were thematically analysed using NVivo software.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Five overarching themes were derived from the data analysis, including confidence in delivering oral hygiene instructions, barriers and facilitators to providing oral health advice, recommendations for advertising and implementing oral health promotion, undergoing oral health training and recommendations for increased collaboration with dental practitioners. Pharmacists were confident in delivering basic oral hygiene instructions upon patient request. Most pharmacists were interested in verbally delivering oral health advice. Barriers identified included time constraints and operating as a single pharmacist. Pharmacists requested enhanced training, ideally online as continued professional development and support from pharmacy educational and regulatory bodies or dental practitioners to be able to expand their scope.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>There is a need for additional training, resources and support for rural pharmacists to deliver this expanded role in oral health to improve oral health outcomes for rural people.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70059","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144206776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rural Health Pro—A Digital Platform Connecting Rural People, Organisations, and Communities","authors":"Robyn Ramsden,&nbsp;Sara-Jane Pappas,&nbsp;Jessica Rostas,&nbsp;Md Irteja Islam,&nbsp;Alexandra Martiniuk,&nbsp;Yann Guisard","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rural areas face persistent health disparities exacerbated by workforce shortages and the geographical isolation of health professionals. Innovative approaches are needed to mitigate professional isolation and enhance access to continuous professional development. This paper explores how health professionals perceive and utilise Rural Health Pro, analysing its potential to support professional needs, enhance capability, and improve workforce retention.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To explore rural health professionals' experiences and perceptions of the Rural Health Pro focusing on its functionality, support for professional needs, enhancement of capability, and contribution to workforce retention.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A qualitative study utilising thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 12 allied health professionals working in rural practice, examining their experiences and perceptions of the utility of the Rural Health Pro platform. They are independent of the Rural Doctors Network.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Participants reported that the Rural Health Pro platform supported their capability through professional development, peer connectivity, reducing feelings of professional isolation, and leadership development. Challenges included the need for more structured support in mentoring and professional development.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rural Health Pro facilitates resource sharing, knowledge exchange, and access to professional connectivity, enabling rural health professionals to access relevant information and support. While it enhanced users' sense of capability and reduced professional isolation, further evidence is needed to evaluate its broader impact on workforce retention and quality of care in rural health.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144206354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health Care and Health Information Access by Parents With Young Children in Regional Queensland","authors":"Catherine McCosker,&nbsp;Gavin Beccaria,&nbsp;Lisa Beccaria,&nbsp;Tanya Machin","doi":"10.1111/ajr.70060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70060","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The effects of childhood health, education and experiences can have long-term impacts on adult health and wellbeing. Access to health services and information can be complex especially in regional and rural areas of Australia. This research aimed to: (1) investigate how and where parents living in regional and rural Australia with young children search for health information and (2) explore how parents decide what is appropriate health information to enable them to meet the health needs of their families.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Setting</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Regional and rural areas of Southern Queensland.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Participants</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Parents with a child under the age of 5 years.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Design</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A convergent mixed methods design was utilised. Parents participated in an online survey and were invited to in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews about their health information search methods. Inductive content analysis was applied to the transcripts.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The 11 interviewees searched for health information when their child was unwell, using the internet, family and friends and GPs and medical services. Websites were used for health information, whereas social media sites provided support and connection. The internet helped determine when to seek medical advice, and a preference was shown for Australian, hospital and government websites and websites recommended by GPs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The results may inform the development of targeted hospital and government websites to ensure all parents have easy access to evidence-based children's health information. GPs may also play a role in discussing internet-sourced health information with parents.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":55421,"journal":{"name":"Australian Journal of Rural Health","volume":"33 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ajr.70060","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144171876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}