How might access to postgraduate medical education in regional and rural locations be best improved? A scoping review.

Rural medical education is known as one of the most effective strategies in improving rural recruitment and retention. The aim was to identify modes of delivery to improve access to rural postgraduate medical education. Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework was used for conducting scoping reviews.

Exploratory survey of procedural sedation and analgesia practice in sample of New Zealand rural hospitals: existing guidelines do not support current rural practice.

Aim: Rural hospitals in New Zealand provide broad generalist clinical services, including procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA). This study was designed to explore patterns of procedural sedation use including indications, equipment, medications, logistical and medical staff support available by rural hospitals, and whether current professional guidelines support rural sedation practice.

Methods: Through the New Zealand Rural Hospital Research Network, 17 rural hospitals were enrolled in an online survey during February 2018.

Transition of the medical model of care at Ashburton hospital over 10 years: the perspective of rural generalists.

Rural hospitals in New Zealand face difficult workforce challenges to maintain services and quality outcomes. Ashburton Hospital has undergone a 10-year transition from a secondary specialist to a rural generalist medical model of care. Current senior medical staff (rural hospital medicine fellows) here explore their experience of the process and outcomes of this transition.

Point-of-care ultrasound for FAST and AAA in rural New Zealand: quality and impact on patient care.

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has the potential to improve access to diagnostic imaging for rural communities. This article evaluates the sensitivity and specificity, impact on patient care, quality and safety of two common POCUS examinations - focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) and aortic aneurysm (AAA) - in the rural context.

Methods: This study is a subgroup analysis of a larger study into POCUS in rural New Zealand.

Development of a Rural Inter-professional Simulation Course: an initiative to improve trauma and emergency team management in New Zealand rural hospitals.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT New Zealand is a largely rural nation. Despite the regionalisation of trauma services, rural hospitals continue to provide trauma and emergency care. A dedicated rural inter-professional team-based simulation course was designed, as part of a wider strategy of using simulation-based education to address the disparity in experience and training for rural hospital teams providing emergency and trauma care.