Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN)

ARHEN is the national association for the 19 University Departments of Rural Health across rural and remote Australia.

Our purpose is to promote the health and wellbeing of people in rural and remote Australia by delivering high-quality health education, research and advocacy.

Our member organisations, the University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH), are academic centres based in rural and remote Australia.

Each year, the UDRHs support more than 15,000 nursing, midwifery and allied health students to experience the opportunities and rewards of studying, living and working as a health professional in rural and remote regions.

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Find a University Department of Rural Health

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Flinders University Rural and Remote Health SA

Flinders University Rural and Remote Health NT

University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health

University-Centre-for-Rural-Health,-North-Coast-NSW

University Centre for Rural Health Northern Rivers

University of Tasmania, Centre for Rural Health

Deakin Rural Health, Deakin University

Three-Rivers-Department-of-Rural-Health-365

Charles Sturt University Three Rivers Department of Rural Health

Recent Research Papers and Reports

Date Published

Publication Title (click to view)

29
Jul, 2024
Location and access to health courses for rural students: an Australian audit
Location and access to health courses for rural students: an Australian audit
Abstract Summary
The undersupply of health professionals in rural areas impacts healthcare access for those living in rural Australia. A strategy to increase the rural health workforce is to recruit and educate rural people. However, long-standing inequities for rural Australians in accessing tertiary education persist. The aim of this study was to audit the 2023 offerings of Australian allied health, nursing, dental and medical university courses to identify geographical availability and those delivered online. Methods A desktop audit of Australian allied health, nursing, dental and medical courses offered in 2023 was undertaken to identify the courses and delivery modes of those courses […]
24
Jul, 2024
Efficacy of a student-led interprofessional health clinic in regional Australia for preventing and managing chronic disease
Efficacy of a student-led interprofessional health clinic in regional Australia for preventing and managing chronic disease
Abstract Summary
ABSTRACT Increasing chronic disease rates in regional Australian communities necessitates innovative models of healthcare. We evaluated the efficacy of an interprofessional chronic disease program, delivered within a regional student-led nursing and allied health clinic in Southern Queensland, Australia. Changes to anthropometric, aerobic fitness and strength, and quality of life outcomes were examined at four time points spanning 16 months: intake, program transition (4 months), 6 and 12 months (post-transition). Our primary aim was to investigate whether the health improvements achieved during the program were sustained at 12 months in a subset of participants who provided complete data. Significant improvements were found […]
23
Jul, 2024
Are we missing opportunities to detect acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in hospital care? A multijurisdictional cohort study
Are we missing opportunities to detect acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in hospital care? A multijurisdictional cohort study
Abstract Summary
Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate potential missed diagnoses of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease during hospital-based care among persons subsequently identified with these conditions. Methods This retrospective cohort study used linked emergency department and inpatient administrative records from Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, and New South Wales during 2003–2018 (varying between jurisdictions by completeness of data) of all persons first identified with acute rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease while aged 8–24 years. Using coded discharge diagnoses from the preceding 3 years, we identified presentations (e.g. joint pains or heart murmur without specific identified cause) that […]
23
Jul, 2024
Building research capacity at a rural place-based community service organisation in southwest Victoria, Australia
Building research capacity at a rural place-based community service organisation in southwest Victoria, Australia
Abstract Summary
Due to their unique ability to appreciate the local context, rural place-based health and community services are central to the prevention and management of health and social issues.1 Place-based approaches allow relevant evidence to be generated locally; however, at present, there is a lack of evidence generated from rurally based health services1 and arguably less evidence produced from the community services sector.2 This lack of evidence limits the ability for policy-makers to make evidence-informed decisions about how to improve outcomes for rural populations.3 There is an increasing need to provide evidence of outcomes within the community services sector, and the […]
14
Jul, 2024
Conducting mental health research with rural and regional older Australians: Reflections and recommendations
Conducting mental health research with rural and regional older Australians: Reflections and recommendations
Abstract Summary
Abstract Aims This commentary aims to assist emerging leaders of mental health research with older rural Australians through (i) affirmation that others share the barriers, pitfalls and challenges being faced; (ii) reinforcing the rationale making this a pertinent area for research; and (iii) opening a dialogue for best practice to engage older rural Australians in mental health research. Context Supporting the mental health of older adults is a pertinent global challenge, none more so than in rural Australia where restricted access to services and supports are compounded by limited help-seeking behaviours and capacity to engage with support. Paradoxically, such limitations […]
11
Jul, 2024
Rural community-centred co-planning for sustainable rural health systems.
Rural community-centred co-planning for sustainable rural health systems.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Objective Sustaining rural healthcare services is challenging because of numerous systemic factors. Rural communities can inform the design of sustainable rural health models; however, further evidence of effective co-design is needed to guide implementation. The study aim was to co-design a series of place-based and evidence-informed rural health models, to improve local health system sustainability. Setting A rural region (categorised as Modified Monash Model 5) defined by three adjoining Shires in Central and Northwest Victoria, Australia. Participants A health executive co-planning network led the co-design, with input and oversight from a broader cross-sector group. Healthcare professionals (n = 44) and consumers […]
11
Jul, 2024
Interprofessional Competency Acquisition in an Interprofessional Training Ward Four-Week Placement: “Teamwork is what is going to ensure our patients are happy and safe”.
Interprofessional Competency Acquisition in an Interprofessional Training Ward Four-Week Placement: “Teamwork is what is going to ensure our patients are happy and safe”.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Demand on education and health authorities to provide workplace based learning opportunities for students to acquire interprofessional collaborative practice competencies is increasing. This article outlines the acquisition of interprofessional competencies by pre-registration health professional students in a four-week interprofessional training ward placement. Four final-year health professional students (medicine, nursing, occupational therapy and physiotherapy), from two tertiary education institutes worked together on an assessment, treatment and rehabilitation ward for older adults based within a local tertiary hospital. Four competency domains were the focus for the placement: role clarification and appreciation; interprofessional communication; team functioning; and interprofessional coordination and shared decision-making. […]
8
Jul, 2024
Perspectives on the essential skills of healthcare decision making in children and adolescents with intellectual disability
Perspectives on the essential skills of healthcare decision making in children and adolescents with intellectual disability
Abstract Summary
Background Involvement in healthcare decisions is associated with better health outcomes for patients. For children and adolescents with intellectual disability, parents and healthcare professionals need to balance listening to a child’s wishes with the responsibility of keeping them safe. However, there is a scarcity of literature evaluating how to effectively involve them in decision making. In this context, we review the concept of health literacy, focusing on the skills of healthcare decision making for children and adolescents with intellectual disability. Methods We describe the concept of health literacy and models explaining shared decision making (individuals and healthcare professionals collaborate in decision making process) and supported […]
8
Jul, 2024
Social Participation and Loneliness in Older Adults in a Rural Australian Context: Individual and Organizational Perspectives
Social Participation and Loneliness in Older Adults in a Rural Australian Context: Individual and Organizational Perspectives
Abstract Summary
Abstract A rise in aging populations globally calls attention to factors that influence the well-being and health of older adults, including social participation. In Australia, rural older adults face cultural, social, and physical challenges that place them at risk for isolation. Thus, research surrounding social participation and healthy aging is increasingly relevant, especially in rural areas. This qualitative study in a remote town in Western Australia explores barriers and facilitators to older adults’ social participation. To investigate multiple perspectives, 23 adults aged 50+ and 19 organizations from a rural town were interviewed. A stakeholder reference group was engaged to refine […]
28
Jun, 2024
The four-dimensional curriculum framework: 10 years on
The four-dimensional curriculum framework: 10 years on
Abstract Summary
Abstract The Four-Dimensional Curriculum Framework (4DF) was first published in Focus on Health Professional Education in 2013. It was created in response to a gap in the literature for a curriculum development tool for interprofessional health that could navigate the challenges associated with conceptualising shared educational opportunities across siloed health professional programs. Its four interconnecting dimensions emphasise the dynamic interplay between curricular elements, highlighting the fact that curriculum design is rarely linear. As a theoretical curriculum framing tool, it facilitates the articulation of big picture considerations when designing learning and teaching activities. Since 2013, it has been cited 60 times […]

Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) Follow

The Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) is the national association for the 19 University Departments of Rural Health across Australia.

Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) @arhen_1 ·

13 Oct

Calling all UDRH staff! The 2024 ARHEN David Lyle Prizes for rural and remote health are now open. Nominations close 8 November 2024. Don't be shy - that's lots of great collaborative work happening out there 😀. Further info here: https://bit.ly/4eMYADq

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Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) @arhen_1 ·

10 Oct

More great work from the team @ThreeRiversDRH with the launch of their innovative mental health education hub to support health students and health professionals working in mental health.👏👏👏. Learn more:

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Southern Queensland Rural Health @sqruralhealth ·

4 Oct

Charleville students had an exciting day with SQRH exploring health careers! From paramedic demos and plastering broken legs in the ER to medical imaging and post-op rehab with Exercise Physiologists and Dietitians, they gained hands-on insight into rural health.

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Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN)

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Recent Research Papers and Reports