Rural and Remote Health

The Murtupuni Statement on rural generalist professional practice in Australia
Hays RB, Barker RN, Cairns A, Sparke VL, Stewart RA, Varela S, Collins BE, Maloney C, Omond R, Sen Gupta T, Chalmers S, Chong HS, McKenna K, Forrest K, West E, Matthews J, Ballard R, Sabatino G, Turvey J, Symons J, Quabba A and Brown J
The long-term effects of different telerehabilitation programs on respiratory, exercise, and activity-related parameters in COVID-19 survivors: a randomized controlled trial in Türkiye
Tanhan A, Ozer AY, Timurtaş E, Batirel A and Polat MG
The long-term outcomes of different telerehabilitation gains for discharged COVID-19 patients are largely uncertain, and this point needs to be explored. This study aimed to research the effectiveness of telerehabilitation and compare the long-term results of videoconferencing-guided synchronous telerehabilitation and mobile application-guided asynchronous telerehabilitation programs, as well as determine the correlation between clinical and hemodynamic parameters.
'Imagine if we had an actual service ...': a qualitative exploration of abortion access challenges in Australian rural primary care
Noonan A, Millar E, Tomnay JE, Luscombe GM and Black KI
Rural populations in Australia rely upon local primary health care for medication abortion access. Yet little is known about how individual primary healthcare providers themselves negotiate the unique complexities of the rural health system to provide local abortion services.
Therapeutic resources used by traditional communities of the Brazilian Amazon: a scoping review
De Farias AS, de Carvalho FG, Farias FR, Cristino JS, Dos Santos APC, Machado VA, Ambrosio SA, Monteiro WM and Sachett J
The traditional communities of the Brazilian Amazon possess significant knowledge regarding the huge therapeutic arsenal available from natural sources that can be used to care for their health problems. This study aimed to identify, map and synthesize the scientific evidence on the use of traditional medicine as a therapeutic resource when used by traditional communities of the Brazilian Amazon.
Social determinants and socioeconomic inequalities in adherence to antenatal iron-folic acid supplementation in urban and rural Indonesia
Paramashanti BA, Nugraheny E, Suparmi S, Afifah T, Nugraheni WP, Purwatiningsih Y, Oktarina O, Mikrajab MA, Afifah E and Paratmanitya Y
Adherence to iron-folic acid supplementation (IFAS) has been linked with maternal anaemia. While findings about determinants of IFAS adherence have been mixed across different research, there is inadequate evidence in relation to socioeconomic inequalities. This study aims to examine social determinants and socioeconomic inequalities of adherence to IFAS in urban and rural Indonesia.
First Nations Peoples' perspectives on telehealth physiotherapy: a qualitative study focused on the therapeutic relationship
Petry Moecke D, Holyk T, Maddocks S, Campbell KL, Ho K and Camp PG
Relationships are the core of Indigenous Peoples' spiritual and cultural identities, and therapeutic relationships are an integral part of the physical rehabilitation process, directly influencing health outcomes. However, participating in therapeutic relationships can be difficult for First Nations Peoples, particularly in the virtual landscape. There is limited understanding of First Nations Peoples' perspectives on this issue, and this understanding is crucial to developing culturally safe and effective telehealth physiotherapy programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives of First Nations Peoples from British Columbia, Canada, on telehealth physiotherapy, with an emphasis on the virtual therapeutic relationship.
Politics, policy and action: lessons from rural GP advocacy in Ireland
Tuli S, Hayes P, O'Donoghue P, Glynn F, Scully R, Murphy AW, Chater AB and Glynn L
Ireland has one of the most rural populations in Europe. Rurality presents challenges when accessing health services but should not be perceived as problematic and in need of a structural fix. Structural urbanism where health care is viewed as a commodity for individuals, rather than an infrastructure for populations, innately favours larger urban populations and has detrimental outcomes for rural health. In this article we present a brief account of advocacy led by rural GPs, their communities, and the political and policy implications of their efforts.
Transitioning to rural practice together: a rural fellowship model (in 6 Ps)
Gilmer B, Harless C, White Gibson L, Fromewick J, Latessa R, Beck Dallaghan G, Agee K and Hodge B
Maintaining a robust healthcare workforce in underserved rural communities continues to be a challenge. To better meet healthcare needs in rural areas, training programs must develop innovative ways to foster transition to, and integration into, these communities. Mountain Area Health Education Center designed and implemented a 12-month post-residency Rural Fellowship program to enhance placement, transition, and retention in rural North Carolina. Utilizing a '6 Ps' framework, the program targeted physicians and pharmacists completing residency with the purpose of recruiting and supporting their transition into the first year of rural practice.
The Friends and Family for Mental Health Program: a pilot study of a cognitive behavioral therapy skills intervention for rural adults
Murphy ST, Cheavens JS and Strunk DR
Limited access to psychological treatment is a pressing problem in the US, especially in more rural areas. One potentially underutilized resource is informal care from friends and family members. Although those in rural areas rely on informal care more than those in urban areas, there is little to guide interested caregivers in how they can be most effective.
Community paramedicine program and outcomes of referred coronary artery bypass grafting patients
Washist R, Smith C and Kientopf T
Community paramedicine is a field in its infancy. The use of community paramedics has expanded in recent years as an alternative or adjunct to home health in the continued drive to decrease health disparities and complications. In current practice, they function in a position like a home healthcare nurse with an expanded scope of practice, such as providing specialized follow-up care, for example with postoperative care for patients who have undergone major surgery or recent hospitalization. This study assesses if community paramedics are a valid option in reducing rehospitalization of patients who underwent a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure.
The burden of HPV-associated cancer in rural America beyond 2020
Semprini J
Simulated GP clinic closure: effects on patient access in the Irish Mid-West
Harbour E, Stanley F, Casey M, O'Callaghan ME and Glynn LG
Rural communities can experience more barriers to accessing health care than their urban counterparts, largely due to fewer healthcare staff and services, and geographical isolation. The purpose of this study is to examine the availability of GP practices in rural communities across the Mid-West of Ireland and the potential impact of practice closure on patient access.
Impact of low back pain and care-seeking behavior in an Indigenous community in Suriname: a qualitative approach
Struyf N, Truyers Y, Vanwing T, Jacquet W, Paraanen H, Ho-A-Tham N and Dankaerts W
Low back pain is a significant global public health issue affecting over half a billion people and contributing to disability worldwide. The impact of disability related to low back pain is growing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In contrast with previous research, current evidence shows Indigenous Peoples also experience low back pain's disabling effects. A clinical ethnographic can contribute by attempting to understand the data through the perspective of Indigenous Peoples.
Health literacy and COVID-19 pandemic impacts among adults in rural northern Arizona
Lindly OJ, Wahl T, Stotts NM, Kirby BR, Asantewaa SM and Shui AM
Limited health literacy - the ability to access, process, and use health information and services - contributes to persistent health inequities. Yet little is known about associations of limited health literacy with impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for US adults in rural areas. This study sought to determine associations of limited health literacy with impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic among a diverse sample of adults in rural Northern Arizona.
Characteristics and outcomes of patients with cardiac conditions requiring emergency medical retrieval from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Harvey RT, Starmer K, Sklavos T, Cahill T, Starmer G, O'Neill J and Mitchell R
There is limited published data on the burden of cardiac disease among patients requiring emergency medical evacuation from the Great Barrier Reef, a popular tourist destination in Far North Queensland, Australia. The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics and outcomes of patients with cardiac conditions who were retrieved from the northern Great Barrier Reef to Cairns Hospital.
It's more than just a rural GP shortage: challenging a dominant construction of the rural health workforce 'problem'
Malatzky C, Cosgrave C, Moran A, Waller S and Dalton H
What do nurses practising in rural, remote and isolated locations consider important for attraction and retention? A scoping review
Holland C, Malatzky C and Pardosi J
Nurses play a vital role in the provision of health care in rural, remote and isolated locations. Consequently, the current global nursing workforce shortage has significant and far-ranging implications for these communities where there are enduring issues with workforce maldistribution and shortage, instability, high staff turnover and health disparities. This article provides an analysis of existing literature on what rural, remote and isolated practising nurses view as important for the attraction and retention of this workforce in the Australian context.
Effects of community water fluoridation on child dental caries in remote Northern Territory, Australia: a difference-in-difference analysis
Chondur R, Raymond KJ, Zhao Y, Bailie R and Burgess P
Community water fluoridation (CWF) is a cost-effective intervention to reduce dental caries at population level. This Australian study used a difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis to measure dental caries in children exposed to CWF in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.
Community events to increase uptake of Indigenous-specific health assessments: a scoping review
Miller J and Walke E
Innovative, culturally safe strategies are required to address the disproportionate level of poorer health outcomes for Indigenous people in Australia compared to non-Indigenous populations. An emerging body of evidence supports the efficacy of Indigenous-specific health assessments, or health checks, despite poor uptake since their introduction in Australia. This poor uptake is attributed to a range of system, patient and provider barriers. Services have begun to deliver preventative health assessments as a community event to address barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in accessing quality preventative care. However, there is a lack of literature exploring how community events have increased the uptake of Indigenous-specific health assessments to date. We expect this review will underpin a larger study to better understand how community engagement supports increased uptake of health checks. The objective of this scoping review was to investigate what is currently known about how community events have been used to increase uptake of Indigenous-specific health assessments.
Obstetric outcomes among rural parturients across US urban and rural hospitals
Strickland CL, Tumin D, Harris A, Murphy H and Whiteside JL
The objective of this study is to evaluate severe maternal morbidity (SMM) of rural parturients delivering at rural compared to urban hospitals in the US.
Goiter, iodine bioavailability and intrauterine growth restriction in Indigenous and Afro-descendant pregnant women from six non-metropolitan areas of Colombia (2019-2020)
Herrera-Murgueitio JA, Piñeros O, Torres Munoz J, Mosquera Escudero M, Tamara Burgos MA, Arriola-Salgado MM, Gomez-Porras EJ, Cespedes Gaitan SX, Galvis-Serrano AM, Suarez Izquierdo WA, Umaña EJ, Forero Torres AY and Díaz AN
Iodine is an essential mineral for fetal growth and brain development. The aim of this research was to evaluate goiter, iodine deficiency and intrauterine growth restriction in pregnant women of minority ethnic groups in Colombia.