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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]