Increasing inclusion in rural, generalist health services. The project aims to develop a 'toolkit' for health services to better serve minority groups. If health outcomes in Australia are to improve, health care must be provided to the poorest and sickest residents who need it most. However, these consumers will endure sickness rather than seek out services that are often exclusive and disrespectful. To provide accessible health care to disadvantaged residents, many of whom live rurally, all hea ....Increasing inclusion in rural, generalist health services. The project aims to develop a 'toolkit' for health services to better serve minority groups. If health outcomes in Australia are to improve, health care must be provided to the poorest and sickest residents who need it most. However, these consumers will endure sickness rather than seek out services that are often exclusive and disrespectful. To provide accessible health care to disadvantaged residents, many of whom live rurally, all health services need to be responsive to diverse cultures and identities. This project works with rural health services to implement service-wide changes and discover how health services can adapt to the needs of diverse consumers.Read moreRead less
Road safety and Aboriginal people. This study will involve an in-depth examination of factors underlying the high involvement in road crashes by Aboriginal people in Australia. Using mixed methods in six communities across NSW and South Australia it will inform development of new programs aimed at closing the gap in this important area.
Bushfires, social connectedness and mental health. The 2009 Victorian bushfires caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. It is important for Promoting Better Health and Strengthening the Social and Economic Fabric that an accurate understanding is achieved of the factors that contribute to optimal recovery from natural disasters. This project will survey people affected by the fires over 5 years to both profile adaptation after the fires and to identify the i ....Bushfires, social connectedness and mental health. The 2009 Victorian bushfires caused much loss of life, property destruction, and community disturbance. It is important for Promoting Better Health and Strengthening the Social and Economic Fabric that an accurate understanding is achieved of the factors that contribute to optimal recovery from natural disasters. This project will survey people affected by the fires over 5 years to both profile adaptation after the fires and to identify the individual and community processes that influence outcome. This project being undertaken in partnership by academic, disaster management, health and community organisations will provide crucial information for shaping policy for disaster management in the years ahead.Read moreRead less
The melioidosis agent Burkholderia pseudomallei in the anthropogenic environment of northern Australia. This project will analyse environmental factors contributing to the persistence of the soil bacterium and melioidosis agent, Burkholderia pseudomallei in the anthropogenic environment. This will increase understanding of the consequences of land use manipulations upon these bacteria and will suggest remediation measures to reduce the risk of exposure.
The impact and cost of short-term health staffing in remote communities. This project aims to examine the impact of the increasing levels of short-term health staffing in remote communities upon service acceptability to patients, workload and attitudes of long-term resident primary health care staff, and the effectiveness and cost of health services. There is a dearth of information about this 'fly in/fly out' (FIFO) workforce in remote communities, which have the worst health outcomes in the co ....The impact and cost of short-term health staffing in remote communities. This project aims to examine the impact of the increasing levels of short-term health staffing in remote communities upon service acceptability to patients, workload and attitudes of long-term resident primary health care staff, and the effectiveness and cost of health services. There is a dearth of information about this 'fly in/fly out' (FIFO) workforce in remote communities, which have the worst health outcomes in the country. The project aims to inform consumers, health practitioners, health service planners and policy-makers about the impact of FIFO, as well as to contribute to the development of strategies designed to stabilise the remote health workforce.Read moreRead less
The relationship between rural living and wellness: what services and supports do older people need? Population ageing is having a significant impact in rural Australia, increasing the demand for community and health services. This project builds on international research to explore how best to meet the diverse needs of older people living in Australia’s rural communities.
Assisting rural communities in South Australia adapt to the health challenges of increasing temperatures and climate change. This study will investigate the effects of extreme heat, increasing temperatures and consequences of climate change, on the population health of rural communities in South Australia. Findings will inform adaptation strategies to prevent an increase in heat-associated and climate change-associated morbidity and mortality in rural areas.
Increasing the rural medical workforce: investigating personal traits to enhance our understanding and improve training of rural registrars. This project will research new methodologies for increasing the number of rural doctors in Australia. A better understanding of those individuals best suited for rural practice will provide value for money to the Government by making the most efficient use of initiatives to increase recruitment and retention of the rural workforce.
Staffing practices in Aboriginal primary health care services. This project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of short-term staffing in remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services on service acceptability to patients, workload and attitudes of long-term staff and the effectiveness and cost of services. The project intends to compare these results to recent findings about the impact of short-term staffing in government-run clinics, in order to quantify and describe the po ....Staffing practices in Aboriginal primary health care services. This project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of short-term staffing in remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services on service acceptability to patients, workload and attitudes of long-term staff and the effectiveness and cost of services. The project intends to compare these results to recent findings about the impact of short-term staffing in government-run clinics, in order to quantify and describe the potential positive effect of community control. Expected outcomes include rigorous evidence about the 'fly in/fly out' workforce and the impact of community control which can inform new policy that will stabilise the remote health workforce, save money and contribute to 'closing the gap' in health outcomes.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200100343
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,115.00
Summary
Dying well: Designing rural end-of-life services for chronic disease. This project aims to understand how existing rural service structures impact access to end-of-life support in chronic conditions. Chronic diseases account for 90% of deaths in Australia, yet access to end-of-life support is limited and little is known about services in rural areas. Information gathered through patient and stakeholder interviews, national survey and service mapping will be used to generate a new evidence-based ....Dying well: Designing rural end-of-life services for chronic disease. This project aims to understand how existing rural service structures impact access to end-of-life support in chronic conditions. Chronic diseases account for 90% of deaths in Australia, yet access to end-of-life support is limited and little is known about services in rural areas. Information gathered through patient and stakeholder interviews, national survey and service mapping will be used to generate a new evidence-based framework and guideline. These outputs will support early engagement with end-of-life planning, known to improve quality of life and reduce health system costs, and to inform development of equitable future end-of-life services for people and their families living with chronic conditions across rural Australia. Read moreRead less