Abstract Objective To estimate the number of general practice-appropriate attendances in a remote emergency department and explore the reasons for patients’ choice of service. Design A four-step case study approach was adopted, focusing on hospital emergency department (ED) attendances that were potentially manageable in general practice. Setting A large, remote community with substantial populations of Indigenous peoples and fly-in, fly-out mining industry workers. The ED is experiencing rapid growth in demand for services for lower urgency. Participants Patients attending the emergency department with lower urgency problems. Interventions ED attendance data for 2016 were reviewed to identify lower urgency presentations. Patient [...]

Abstract Aims and Context As a University Department of Rural Health, we have identified recurrent areas of service need among vulnerable rural populations, specifically the need for allied health. Concurrently, we have also identified missed opportunities for deliberate collaborative practice in rural clinical placements. This paper provides a commentary on our work in progress as we work to leverage available opportunities to provide both service from and education for health profession students on rural clinical placements. Approach We developed a transdisciplinary placement model, informed by practice theory, which encompasses pre-placement preparation, student support, host sites and clinicians, and a structured [...]

Abstract Issue addressed This paper evaluates the effectiveness of an Australian Men's Shed Association's ‘Spanner in the Works?’ health promotion tent in reaching at-risk rural men during a large agricultural event in rural Australia. Methods Men who self-presented to the health promotion tent had basic health measurements and risk scores recorded. These were linked to a short survey asking about their primary health care engagement. To determine the ‘reach’ afforded to health professionals through their presence at the agricultural event, the mean systolic blood pressure and waist circumference measures of participants were compared to those of rural men nationally using [...]