Recent Research Papers and Reports

Researchers from the University Departments of Rural Health publish in a wide variety of national and international journals.

A selection of the most recent papers is provided below.

Date Published

Publication Title (click to view)

12
Feb, 2023
In a group, “we’re not just a number”: what we learnt from an accidental hybrid health and well-being group programme for First Nations Australians with diabetes.
In a group, “we’re not just a number”: what we learnt from an accidental hybrid health and well-being group programme for First Nations Australians with diabetes.
Abstract Summary
Abstract First Nations peoples in Australia are disproportionately affected by diabetes. We report on a qualitative evaluation of a healthy lifestyle group programme at an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. The programme was designed by an Aboriginal Health Worker and took place in a regional community. Yarning interviews of five participants and four facilitators were conducted followed by a collaborative analysis. The group context provided connecting and relationship-building opportunities, allowing participants to feel that they were seen as an individual. The accidental hybrid approach adopted due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown supported transition of healthy activities into the [...]
16
Dec, 2022
Placement Architectures in Practice: An Exploration of Student Learning during Non-Traditional Work-Integrated Learning in Rural Communities
Placement Architectures in Practice: An Exploration of Student Learning during Non-Traditional Work-Integrated Learning in Rural Communities
Abstract Summary
Abstract Background: Work-integrated learning (WIL) in rural communities provides students with important learning opportunities while also providing a service to those communities. To optimise the potential benefits of work-integrated learning for health students and rural communities it is important to explore the practices and outcomes of these experiences. Methods: This study used a qualitative research design underpinned by the theoretical framework of Theory of Practice Architectures to examine the way students learn during these placements. Purposive sampling was used to identify students for participation in the study. Seven students from the disciplines of paramedicine, physiotherapy, and speech pathology participated in [...]
6
Nov, 2022
Placement Architectures in Practice: An Exploration of Student Learning during Non-Traditional Work-Integrated Learning in Rural Communities.
Placement Architectures in Practice: An Exploration of Student Learning during Non-Traditional Work-Integrated Learning in Rural Communities.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Background: Work-integrated learning (WIL) in rural communities provides students with important learning opportunities while also providing a service to those communities. To optimise the potential benefits of work-integrated learning for health students and rural communities it is important to explore the practices and outcomes of these experiences. Methods: This study used a qualitative research design underpinned by the theoretical framework of Theory of Practice Architectures to examine the way students learn during these placements. Purposive sampling was used to identify students for participation in the study. Seven students from the disciplines of paramedicine, physiotherapy, and speech pathology participated in [...]
26
Sep, 2022
Appraising community driven health research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: A scoping review using the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander quality appraisal tool.
Appraising community driven health research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: A scoping review using the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander quality appraisal tool.
Abstract Summary
Summary Most research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been conducted by non-Indigenous people and has not been a positive experience for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This scoping review maps approaches to health research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities in Australia from the last two decades. A literature search found 198 papers, of which 34 studies met the inclusion criteria. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool was then used to map the quality of the reported community driven research. The Quality Appraisal Tool privileges, Aboriginal and Torres Strait [...]
9
Jul, 2022
Children and adolescents are not small adults: towards a better understanding of multimorbidity in younger populations
Children and adolescents are not small adults: towards a better understanding of multimorbidity in younger populations
Abstract Summary
Multimorbidity is of an increasing importance for the health of both children and adults but research has hitherto focused on adult multimorbidity. Hence, public awareness, practice, and policy lack vital information about multimorbidity in childhood and adolescence. We convened an international and interdisciplinary group of experts from six nations to identify key priorities supported by published evidence to strengthen research for children and adolescent with multimorbidity. Future research is encouraged (1) to develop a conceptual framework to capture unique aspects of child and adolescent multimorbidity—including definitions, characteristic patterns of conditions for different age groups, its dynamic nature through childhood and [...]
30
Jun, 2022
The transformation of a student-led health clinic in rural Australia from a face-to-face service to a telehealth model: Evaluation of student and client experiences during a COVID 19 driven transition.
The transformation of a student-led health clinic in rural Australia from a face-to-face service to a telehealth model: Evaluation of student and client experiences during a COVID 19 driven transition.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the rapid transition of many face-to-face health services to alternate modes of service delivery. The objective of this study was to explore the benefits, challenges and perceived quality of a telehealth service delivery model from the perspective of clients and students. Further, students’ perceptions relating to the quality of the educational experience were also explored. Methods: The study was set in a student-led interprofessional health and wellness clinic in rural Queensland, Australia. A qualitative case study design was used, including semi-structured student interviews and client open-response survey data. Participants were nursing and allied [...]
28
Apr, 2022
Effect of rural clinical placements on intention to practice and employment in rural Australia: a systematic review.
Effect of rural clinical placements on intention to practice and employment in rural Australia: a systematic review.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Background: Supporting the provision of clinical placement (CP) experiences in rural areas is a strategy used worldwide to promote the rural health workforce. While there is international evidence for this intervention in medicine, there is limited understanding of the influence of rural CP for nursing, midwifery, allied health, and dentistry health professions in Australia, which have received substantial federal investment. This review examined the relationship between rural CP and non-medicine health students’ future rural practice intentions and workforce outcomes. Methods: Four databases were systematically searched; papers were screened using defined criteria and appraised using the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT). [...]
28
Apr, 2022
Effect of Rural Clinical Placements on Intention to Practice and Employment in Rural Australia: A Systematic Review.
Effect of Rural Clinical Placements on Intention to Practice and Employment in Rural Australia: A Systematic Review.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Background: Supporting the provision of clinical placement (CP) experiences in rural areas is a strategy used worldwide to promote the rural health workforce. While there is international evidence for this intervention in medicine, there is limited understanding of the influence of rural CP for nursing, midwifery, allied health, and dentistry health professions in Australia, which have received substantial federal investment. This review examined the relationship between rural CP and non-medicine health students’ future rural practice intentions and workforce outcomes. Methods: Four databases were systematically searched; papers were screened using defined criteria and appraised using the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT). [...]
23
Apr, 2022
Exploring localized learning during a short-term health student placement.
Exploring localized learning during a short-term health student placement.
Abstract Summary
High-quality student placements in rural areas can provide students with the opportunity to learn about, and become immersed in, a rural community and associated health service delivery. As long-term placements are often resource-intensive, the learning potential of short-term placements in rural areas deserves greater examination. This research examined the learning afforded to students during a short-term, rural, work-integrated learning experience and the attributes and practices that facilitated students’ learning. Undergraduate students from three health disciplines who attended the placement participated in two focus groups at the end of their placement. Thematic analysis of the data was inductively informed by a [...]
8
Apr, 2022
Identifying features of quality in rural placements for health students: scoping review.
Identifying features of quality in rural placements for health students: scoping review.
Abstract Summary
Abstract Objectives To explore and synthesise the evidence relating to features of quality in rural health student placements. Design Scoping review. Data sources MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, ProQuest, Informit, Scopus, ERIC and several grey literature data sources (1 January 2005 to 13 October 2020). Study selection The review included peer-reviewed and grey literature from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development listed countries that focused on quality of health student placements in regional, rural and remote areas. Data extraction Data were extracted regarding the methodological and design characteristics of each data source, and the features suggested to contribute to student placement quality [...]