PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Rural”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

A comparison of rural and non rural RACGP training program trainees. Royal Australian College of General Practice.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain demographic data about Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) trainees, and identify differences between rural and non rural RACGP trainees. DESIGN: A postal survey of 211 RACGP trainee doctors in South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT) from 1992 to 1993. Statistical tests used were chi 2 or Fisher's exact test, with P < or = 0.05. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 154 doctors, 41 of whom planned on rural general practice. The sex distribution of rural trainees was equal. Almost all of the trainees planning on rural general practice were born in Australia; all spoke English as their first language and all did their undergraduate training in Australia. There were very few part time rural trainees. Most trainees who planned to settle in rural areas were raised in a capital city. Contrary to widely accepted opinion, trainees with a rural background were no more likely to enter rural practice than trainees with an urban background; with the possible exception of trainees raised in towns with a population of less than 5000 people.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Is Australian rural practice changing? Findings from the National Rural General Practice Study.

The National Rural General Practice Study (NRGPS) was the first comprehensive national study covering rural and remote general practitioners throughout Australia. It was undertaken in 1996-1997 and drew on data from existing sources such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, together with a postal survey of general practitioners in rural and remote areas. There was a 75% response rate to the survey, which covered professional issues, personal and social issues, personal background, patient issues, recruitment and retention programs and changing health services. Overall, the study findings confirmed those of previous individual State-based studies in the early 1990s and showed that there had been some changes since those previous studies. In particular, access to continuing medical education has improved, the rural medical workforce appears to be ageing, the proportion of women rural doctors is increasing and the projected length of stay in rural practice is decreasing. Whereas in the early 1990s the projection for rural doctor numbers was continuing decline, the NRGPS projected overall numbers in rural practice as staying approximately the same over the next 5 years. In the light of these trends, the challenge is to implement targeted initiatives that improve the recruitment and retention of rural and remote general practitioners.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Alternative Curricular Options in Rural Networks (ACORNS): impact of early rural clinical exposure in the University of West Australia medical course.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a 4-day rural placement in Western Australia on the interest of fourth year medical students in a career in rural general practice. Students undertaking their Alternative Curricular Options in Rural Networks attachment (ACORNS) completed pre- and post-questionnaires examining their expectations, experiences of, and attitudes to rural general practice. Of the 103 students who participated, 81% expressed an interest in a rural career after the placement, whereas prior to this experience only 48% had been interested. The students also recorded a wide range of learning experiences, both clinical and procedural, and expressed positive attitudes to the variety of experiences and the role of the rural GP. The study concluded that early exposure to rural general practice enhances students' interest in a potential rural practice career and provides them with a broad range of experiences. The role of rural practitioners as role models for students needs to be acknowledged and reinforced.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2004

Arguing for rural health in Medicare: a progressive rhetoric for rural America.

Rural health policy is the laws, regulations, rules, and interpretations that benefit or affect health and health care for rural populations. This paper examines how rural health policy is viewed in the broader field of public policy, discusses the role of advocacy in developing rural health policy, and suggests ways to make that advocacy more effective. This paper critically reviews policy statements and policy positions taken by key opinion leaders and the leading stakeholders in rural health policy to determine how advocacy for rural communities is expressed. It is not clear how the rural health advocacy coalition is viewed by the professional policy world or the public: as an issues network pressing for fair and equal treatment or as an interest group seeking special advantages. This paper also explores the types of claims that rural advocates make in the specific context of Medicare policy to determine to what extent those claims reflect a central theme of fairness and inclusiveness in national policies versus claims that benefit special interests. The paper suggests that the rhetoric of rural advocates can be better structured to advocate for policies on the basis of a progressive sense of fairness.

Health Policy↗
PubMed2006

Additional skills training for rural physicians. Alberta's rural physician action plan.

PROBLEM ADDRESSED: Rural physicians in Alberta identified access to special skills training and upgrading skills as an important practice requirement. OBJECTIVE OF PROGRAM: The Rural Physician Action Plan in Alberta developed an Enrichment Program to assist physicians practising in rural Alberta communities to upgrade their existing skills or gain new skills. The Enrichment Program aimed to provide a single point of entry to skills training that was individualized and based on the needs of rural physicians. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Two experienced rural physicians were engaged as "skills brokers" to help rural physicians requesting additional skills training or upgrading to find the training they required. Physicians interested in applying for the Enrichment Program consulted one of the brokers. Each applicant was assigned a preceptor. Preceptors confirmed learning objectives with trainees, provided the required training in keeping with agreed-upon learning objectives, and ensured trainees were evaluated at the end of the training. CONCLUSION: The program has helped rural physicians upgrade their skills and gain new skills. More Alberta rural physicians are now able to pursue additional training and return to practise new skills in their rural and remote communities than in the past.

Alberta↗
PubMed2002

Towards more rural nursing and allied health services: current and potential rural activity in the Division of Health Sciences of the University of South Australia.

INTRODUCTION: As part of Australia's regional health strategy, one of the recently introduced initiatives aims to increase the range of allied health and nursing services available in rural and remote communities, reflecting the growing recognition of allied health rural and remote workforce problems. While some programs focus on increasing services in rural and remote communities, long-term solutions depend in part on the actions and activities of training institutions. Medical schools are being encouraged and financed to provide more rural exposure for undergraduates, but less is known about such programs for allied health and nursing students. METHODS: A survey of the seven Schools comprising the Division of Health Sciences of the University of South Australia was undertaken to determine the extent of rural exposure in undergraduate education, research, and service support. RESULTS: Five Schools (71%) offer rural placements for undergraduates, four (57%) are doing rural research and three (43%) provide some services to rural communities. Contingent on appropriate resources, all Schools expressed a strong desire to substantially increase the amount of rural activity. CONCLUSION: This research highlighted the paucity of data in this area and suggests the need for a national survey.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Differences in access to health care services among adults in rural America by rural classification categories and age.

OBJECTIVE: To study differences in excess to health care services between different population groups in rural areas of the United States. DESIGN: Using data from the 1994 National Health Interview Survey and the 1991 Area Resource File, we examined the differences in excess with seven measures: having a regular source of care, having a usual place of care, having health insurance coverage, delaying medical care because of cost for all rural residents; number of doctor visits, number of hospital discharges and length of hospital stay per discharge for those who reported their health as being either poor or fair. Rural residents were classified by ages and grouped into four rural classification categories that were characterised along two dimensions: adjacent to a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) (yes/no) and inclusion of a city of at least 10,000 people (yes/no). SETTING: Rural areas. SUBJECTS: Rural populations. RESULTS: Residents aged 18-24 years had the worst access to services and the residents aged 65 years and over had the best access to services when measured by regular source of care, a usual place of care and health insurance status. Compared to those aged 50-64 years, residents aged 25-49 years were less likely to report having health insurance and more likely to report delaying seeking medical care because of costs. Rural residents who lived in a county adjacent to an MSA generally were less limited in access than those who lived in a county not adjacent to an MSA. CONCLUSIONS: Rural America is not a homogeneous entity in many aspects of the access to health care services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Variations in drinking patterns in the rural South: joint effects of race, gender, and rural residence.

OBJECTIVES: To understand the relative contribution of gender, race (African-American vs. Caucasian), and rural residence on variations in drinking patterns, including past year abstinence, at-risk drinking, and recent drinking quantity and frequency for drinkers only. METHODS: A brief health survey was administered by telephone to a probability sample of 11,529 residents of six southern states, over-sampling rural inhabitants. RESULTS: Drinking patterns varied by gender, race, and rural residence in bivariate analysis. Gender effects were independent of rural residence, but race effects on abstinence and at-risk drinking were found only in urban residents and race differences in drinking quantity only in rural residents. Multivariate analysis, controlling for age and education, found gender and rural residence to be the strongest predictors, as well as being an African-American female. CONCLUSIONS: Female gender, African-American race, and rural residence appear protective for at-risk drinking but rural residence dominates racial differences.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1991

Hospital-sponsored rural health clinics: an effective diversification alternative for rural hospitals.

Changes in rural health care are resulting in new challenges for the administrators of rural hospitals. The lack of available care, economic deterioration, and demographic changes in rural America are contributing factors to rural health care problems and are detrimental to the financial well-being of rural hospitals. Diversification is becoming commonplace in these hospitals as administrators seek strategies to gain financial viability for their facilities. The concept of hospital-sponsored rural health clinics is more than a decade old, yet there are fewer than 30 such clinics nationwide. Reasons for the underutilization of such clinics may include the lack of knowledge that such clinics exist as well as inadequate information describing the establishment, operation, and financial feasibility of the clinics. The hospital-sponsored rural health clinic "concept" will be introduced, including potential benefits of such clinics to both the hospital and the communities they serve, factors to be considered in developing such a system, and problems that may arise in this development. This article presents a case study of how one rural hospital incorporated such clinics into its long-range plans.

Community Health Centers↗
PubMed2003

The Southern Rural Access Program and Alabama's Rural Health Leaders Pipeline: a partnership to develop needed minority health care professionals.

Rural Health Leaders Pipeline programs are intended to increase the number of youth interested in and pursuing health professions in rural communities. This paper presents 2 complementary approaches to Rural Health Leaders Pipeline programs. Two different organizations in Alabama recruit students from 18 specified counties. One organization is a rural, community-based program with college freshmen and upperclassmen from rural communities. Students shadow health professionals for 6 weeks, attend classes, visit medical schools, complete and present health projects, and receive support from online tutors. The second organization is a university-based program that supplements an existing 11th grade-medical school rural medicine pipeline with 10 minority students from rural communities who have graduated from high school and plan to enter college as premedical students in the following academic year. Students participate in classes, tutorials, seminars, and other activities. Students earn college credits during the 7-week program, maintain contact with program staff during the school year, and by performance and interest can continue in this pipeline program for a total of 4 consecutive summers, culminating in application to medical school. Each organization provides stipends for students. Early experiences have been positive, although Rural Health Leaders Pipeline programs are expensive and require long-term commitments.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Rural and non-rural differences in membership of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether bioethicists are distributed along a rural-to-urban continuum in a way that reflects potential need of those resources as determined by the general population, hospital facilities and hospital beds. METHODS: US members of a large, multidisciplinary professional society, the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH), the US population, hospital facilities and hospital beds were classified across a four-tier rural-to-urban continuum. The proportion of each group in rural settings was compared with that in urban settings, and odds ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Although 91% of ASBH members live or work in urban settings, only 66% of the US population did so. In contrast, 2% of ASBH members live or work in rural settings compared with 13% of the population. ASBH members were 10.7 times (95% CI 6.6 to 17.3) as likely to be represented in urban than in rural settings when compared with the general population, 25.6 times (95% CI 15.8 to 41.5) and 6.9 times (95% CI 4.3 to 11.1) as likely with regard to hospital facilities and hospital beds, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using various comparisons it was found that ASBH members are under-represented in rural as compared with urban settings. Although not all bioethicists are ASBH members, these findings suggest that the availability of professional bioethical resources may be inadequate in rural America. The disparities that were found may have considerable effect on ethics scholarship, research, ethical committees and education, and adds to the argument that rural American communities are under-served.

Beds↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Healthcare utilization for acute and chronic diseases of young, school-age children in the rural and non-rural setting.

To determine the most frequently diagnosed conditions among rural and non-rural children age 5 to 9 and assess for environmental influences, data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1996-2001) were used to examine frequencies of diagnoses in children age 5 to 9. Separately, we examined rural and non-rural outpatient physician visits in weighted multivariate logistic regression models. Overall, the most frequent diagnosis was routine health check, followed by several acute conditions. When analyzed separately, non-rural children were significantly more likely to visit a physician for routine health check (P = 0.002), asthma (P = 0.005), and acute upper respiratory infection (P = 0.037). Rural counterparts were significantly more likely to be seen for attention deficit disorder (P = 0.000), otitis media (P = 0.017), chronic rhinitis (P = 0.017) and influenza (P = 0.037). Children age 5 to 9 are healthy overall. When illness occurs, it is usually acute. Rural and non-rural, young, school-aged children exhibit many similarities in healthcare utilization, but differences occur. Most surprising is the difference in the diagnosis frequency of attention deficit disorder.

Acute Disease↗