Development and Implementation of the Palliative Care Assessment Toolkit for Rural Aged Care Facilities in Australia.

Palliative care (PC) in rural aged care facilities faces significant challenges, including late referrals and insufficient staff training, leading to a risk of suboptimal end-of-life care. The aim of the project was to develop and implement an evidence-based Palliative Care Assessment Toolkit (PCAT) to improve PC in rural aged care facilities and evaluate its impact on care delivery and staff practices. The study employed a mixed-methods design across three phases: codesign of the toolkit, implementation, and evaluation (using pre- and post-data).

A systematic review of peer support interventions to improve psychosocial functioning among cancer survivors: can findings be translated to survivors with a rare cancer living rurally?

Background: This study aimed to (1) summarise research on the impact of peer support interventions aimed at improving psychosocial functioning among cancer survivors, and (2) identify key components for developing a support intervention for patients with a rare cancer living in rural, regional or remote areas.

Methods: A comprehensive search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library identified papers that examined peer support interventions: (i) for rare cancer patients, or (ii) for those living in rural, regional or remote locations, or (iii) that provided support online or via telehealth. After screening, data on study characteristics, intervention components and impact on psychosocial functioning were extracted.

'Keeps me young at heart': Exploring the influence of volunteering on social connection, health and well-being in rural Australia.

Objective: The negative consequences of social disconnection, including loneliness and social isolation, is receiving considerable attention from researchers and policymakers, and growing as a global public health priority. Volunteering has emerged as a promising strategy to promote social connection and combat loneliness, calling for a closer examination of its potential benefits to individual social health and community cohesion. This study explores the experiences and impact of volunteering on individuals' social health, providing insights into both the positive impacts and possible limitations of volunteering in rural communities.

Community-Driven Health Promotion: Evaluation of a Rural Microgrant Program.

Introduction: Microgrants for health promotion have the potential to engage communities in designing and implementing place-based interventions to improve health and social outcomes. However, the evidence base around microgrants for health promotion is limited. This study presents the evaluation of a health service-funded microgrant program for health promotion in rural Australia.

Addressing cancer survivors' information needs and satisfaction: a systematic review of potential intervention components for survivors with a rare cancer type.

Objective: Providing current, evidence-based information to cancer survivors is critical for informed decision making. People diagnosed with a rare cancer report higher unmet information needs compared to common cancer survivors. However, interventions providing informational support for rare cancers are limited.