Co-creating an Indigenous-led virtual health services model for Indigenous Australians living with chronic disease.

Objective: To describe the co-design process and understand consumer perspectives of a virtual health services (VHS) model of primary healthcare delivery, for Indigenous Australians with chronic disease and living in regional, rural, and remote Queensland.

Design: Using decolonising methodologies, the study used an Indigenous consensus method to undertake the co-design process and generate findings. For analysis, a qualitative interpretive-description framework was applied.

Sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student learning and well-being in rural Australia: findings from a repeated national multicentre survey.

Objective: The impact of COVID-19 on medical students has predominantly been assessed by one-off survey studies at the pandemic onset. This national study investigated the sustained impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students' rural clinical placement learning and well-being.

Design: Repeated cross-sectional survey design.

Australian general practitioners' perception of modifiable risk factors in reducing infective complications following hip and knee joint replacement.

Background And Objectives: Smoking, poor diabetic control and excessive body mass index (BMI) increase the risk of infection following joint replacement. This study investigated Australian general practitioners' (GPs) perception of these modifiable risk factors in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis.

Method: A structured online survey tool was developed and widely distributed to Australian GPs.

A retrospective descriptive review of community-engaged research projects addressing rural health priorities.

Background: Most rural populations experience significant health disadvantage. Community-engaged research can facilitate research activities towards addressing health issues of priority to local communities. Connecting scholars with community based frontline practices that are addressing local health and medical needs helps establish a robust pipeline for research that can inform gaps in health provision.

A preference-based value framework to assess healthcare provision in an oil and gas industry.

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to develop the Remote Health Value Framework to evaluate the models of healthcare provision for workers in the oil and gas sector, predominantly situated in rural and remote areas.MethodsThe framework was co-designed with the leadership team in one global oil and gas company using a multi-criteria decision analysis approach with a conjoint analysis component. This was used to elicit and understand preferences and trade-offs among different value domains that were important to the stakeholders with respect to the provision of healthcare for its workers.

Can digital innovation transform rural primary health care? A systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Digital technology is increasingly being adopted within primary healthcare services to improve service delivery and health outcomes; however, the scope for digital innovation within primary care services in rural areas is currently unknown. This systematic review aims to synthesise existing research on the use and integration of digital health technology within primary care services for rural populations across the world.

Methods And Analysis: A systematic approach to the search strategy will be conducted.

Do patients with osteoarthritis lose weight prior to elective joint replacement?

Background: Obesity is a known risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and the subsequent need for joint replacement. Weight loss has been shown to reduce pain, disability, and the need for joint replacement, particularly in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to investigate pre-operative weight change in patients with hip, knee, and shoulder osteoarthritis at a regional, public hospital in Australia, to identify opportunities for pre-operative weight-loss intervention.

Primary and specialist care interaction and referral patterns for individuals with chronic kidney disease: a narrative review.

Background: Timely referral of individuals with chronic kidney disease from primary care to secondary care is evidenced to improve patient outcomes, especially for those whose disease progresses to kidney failure requiring kidney replacement therapy. A shortage of specialist nephrology services plus no consistent criteria for referral and reporting leads to referral pattern variability in the management of individuals with chronic kidney disease.

Objective: The objective of this review was to explore the referral patterns of individuals with chronic kidney disease from primary care to specialist nephrology services.

A Narrative Review of Health Status and Healthcare Delivery in the Oil and Gas Industry: Impacts on Employees, Employers, and Local Communities.

Workers in the oil and gas industry are exposed to numerous health risks, ranging from poor health behaviours to the possibility of life-threatening injuries. Determining the most appropriate models of healthcare for the oil and gas industry is difficult, as strategies must be acceptable to multiple stakeholders, including employees, employers, and local communities. The purpose of this review was to broadly explore the health status and needs of workers in the oil and gas industry and healthcare delivery models relating to primary care and emergency responses.

Nature and extent of disruptions to staff clinical supervision practices in health care settings due to COVID-19: A survey study.

Objective: To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical supervision practices of health care workers in health care settings in one Australian state.

Method: A bespoke survey was developed and administered online using Qualtrics™. The survey consisted of Likert scale and closed questions, with options for free text comments.

Multimorbidity and health-related quality of life amongst Indigenous Australians: A longitudinal analysis.

Background: The burden of multimorbidity has been observed worldwide and it has significant consequences on health outcomes. In Australia, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is comparatively low amongst Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, yet no studies have examined the effect of multimorbidity on HRQoL within this at-risk population. This study seeks to fill that gap by employing a longitudinal research design.

Characteristics of perceived effective telesupervision practices: A case study of supervisees and supervisors.

Introduction: Many healthcare workers have switched from face-to-face clinical supervision to telesupervision since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the rise in prevalence of telesupervision and continuing remote working arrangements, telesupervision is no longer only limited to rural areas. As this remains an under-investigated area, this study aimed to explore supervisor and supervisee first hand experiences of effective telesupervision.

Gynecological cancer prognosis using machine learning techniques: A systematic review of the last three decades (1990-2022).

Objective: Many Computer Aided Prognostic (CAP) systems based on machine learning techniques have been proposed in the field of oncology. The objective of this systematic review was to assess and critically appraise the methodologies and approaches used in predicting the prognosis of gynecological cancers using CAPs.

Methods: Electronic databases were used to systematically search for studies utilizing machine learning methods in gynecological cancers.

Rural medical workforce pathways: exploring the importance of postgraduation rural training time.

Background: Inadequate distribution of the medical workforce in rural regions remains a key global challenge. Evidence of the importance of postgraduation (after medical school) rural immersion time and subsequent rural practice, particularly after accounting for other key factors, remains limited. This study investigated the combined impact of three key training pathway factors: (1) rural background, (2) medical school rural immersion, and (3) postgraduation rural immersion, and duration time of each immersion factor on working rurally.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student supervision and education in health care settings: A state-wide survey of health care workers.

Objective: To investigate student supervisor experiences of supervising students on clinical placements since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Studies on the impact of COVID-19 on student clinical placements have focused largely on student reports and have been specific to individual professions or topic areas. There is a need to investigate student supervisor experiences.

The value of extended short-term medical training placements in smaller rural and remote locations on future work location: a cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of extended short-term medical training placements in small rural and remote communities on postgraduate work location.

Design And Setting: Cohort study of medical graduates of The University of Queensland, Australia.

Participants: Graduating medical students from 2012 to 2021 who undertook a minimum of 6 weeks training in a small rural or remote location.

Prognostic significance of FIGO 2018 staging of loco-regionally advanced cervical cancer (LRACC) with the use of MRI and PET and implications for treatment selection.

Introduction: The FIGO 2018 staging of cervix cancer recognizes a total of 11 categories of loco-regionally advanced cervix cancer (LRACC). Whilst incorporating imaging is an improvement over clinical staging (FIGO 2009), this had led to more categories of disease which are not prognostically discrete groups. We aimed to analyze survival according to 2018 FIGO stages of cervix cancer and identify isoprognostic groups of patients based on primary tumor volume and nodal status.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student experiences during rural placements in Australia: findings from a national multi-centre survey.

Background: The aim of this national study was to explore the learning experiences of Australia's medical students who trained rurally during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Methods: A cross-sectional, national multi-centre survey was conducted in 2020, through the Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME). Participants were medical students who had completed an extended Rural Clinical School (RCS) training placement (≥ 12 months).

A Prospective, Longitudinal Study of the Influence of Obesity on Total Knee Arthroplasty Revision Rate: Results from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of obesity with all-cause revision and revision for infection, loosening, instability, and pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed in Australia.

Methods: Data for patients undergoing primary TKA for osteoarthritis from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, were obtained from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR). The rates of all-cause revision and revision for infection, loosening, instability, and pain were compared for non-obese patients (body mass index [BMI], 18.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Clinical Supervision of Healthcare Students in Rural Settings: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions to healthcare student placements worldwide, including already challenged rural areas in Australia. While accounts are emerging of student experiences in larger centers and from a student perspective, there is a need for in-depth exploration of student supervisor experiences in rural areas at the onset of the pandemic. This study aims to address this gap through 23 individual, semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers from ten health professions who were either direct student supervisors or in roles supporting student supervisors A reflexive thematic analysis approach was used to develop four themes, namely compounding stress, negative impacts on student learning, opportunity to flex and innovate, and targeted transitioning support strategies.

Rebooting effective clinical supervision practices to support healthcare workers through and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The importance of clinical supervision, a professional support and clinical governance mechanism, to patients, healthcare workers and organizations has been well documented. Clinical supervision has been shown to support healthcare workers during challenging times, by reducing burnout, enhancing mental health and wellbeing at work, and improving job satisfaction. However, clinical supervision participation and effectiveness are pre-requisites for realising these benefits.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of undergoing knee replacement in Australia.

Background: Obesity is associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of obesity in patients undergoing knee replacement (KR) for OA in Australia compared to the incidence of obesity in the general population.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted, comparing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2017-2018 National Health Survey with data from the National Joint Replacement Registry.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical student placements in rural Queensland: A survey study.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted medical students' learning experiences. Students in one Australian Rural Clinical School were surveyed to investigate the impact of disruptions to clinical placements and satisfaction with educational changes implemented as a result of the pandemic.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Referral patterns, disease progression and impact of the kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) in a Queensland Chronic Kidney Disease Registry (CKD.QLD) cohort: a study protocol.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a rapidly increasing and global phenomenon which carries high morbidity and mortality. Although timely referral from primary care to secondary care confers favourable outcomes, it is not possible for every patient with CKD to be managed at secondary care. With 1 in 10 Australians currently living with markers of CKD against a workforce of about 600 nephrology specialists, a risk stratification strategy is required that will reliably identify individuals whose kidney disease is likely to progress.