Immersing undergraduates into an interprofessional longitudinal rural placement.

Introduction: An Integrated Multidisciplinary Model of Education in Rural Settings (IMMERSe) program was piloted in 2010 in a rural region of South Australia. The aim of the program was to place students from different health programs together, in a rural environment, for one or two semesters of the academic year to promote interprofessional learning. Students were given the opportunity to participate in joint fortnightly education sessions with an emphasis on interprofessional relations and teamwork, undertaking activities such as case studies, role plays, journal club, work shadowing and invited speakers.

Outcomes of longitudinal integrated clinical placements for students, clinicians and society.

Context: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) have been widely implemented in both rural and urban contexts, as is now evident in the wealth of studies published internationally. This narrative literature review aims to summarise current evidence regarding the outcomes of LICs for student, clinician and community stakeholders.

Methods: Recent literature was examined for original research articles pertaining to outcomes of LICs.

The midwifery miniCEX--a valuable clinical assessment tool for midwifery education.

Background: Midwifery students, clinicians and educators in Australia identified the need for improved feedback for midwifery students whilst they are on clinical placement; in particular formative assessment. The miniCEX or mini-clinical evaluation exercise is one approach to assessment that has been proven valid and reliable in medical education. The aim of this research was to develop, implement and evaluate a miniCEX tool for midwifery education.

Why community members want to participate in the selection of students into medical school.

Introduction: Medical schools around the world have established affirmative selection policies to support applicants from the populations they serve. Increasingly they are involving community members in selecting students into medical school. At Flinders University, South Australia, community involvement in the selection of students into the medical school can be by participation in the mainstream Graduate Entry Medical Program (GEMP) selection process at the city campus in Adelaide, or through membership of the rural based Community Liaison Committee (CLC).

From the nurses' station to the health team hub: how can design promote interprofessional collaboration?

Interprofessional practice implies that health professionals are able to contribute patient care in a collaborative environment. In this paper, it is argued that in a hospital the nurses' station is a form of symbolic power. The term could be reframed as a "health team hub," which fosters a place for communication and interprofessional working.

An exploration of the midwifery continuity of care program at one Australian University as a symbiotic clinical education model.

Objective: This discussion paper analyses a midwifery Continuity of Care program at an Australian University with the symbiotic clinical education model, to identify strengths and weakness, and identify ways in which this new pedagogical approach can be improved.

Background: In 2002 a major change in Australian midwifery curricula was the introduction of a pedagogical innovation known as the Continuity of Care experience. This innovation contributes a significant portion of clinical experience for midwifery students.

An online course in clinical education - experiences of Australian clinicians.

Aims: We aimed to understand clinicians' experience of online training in the area of clinical education.

Methods: We conducted semistructured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 20 clinicians studying clinical education online. Interviews were transcribed verbatim into N-Vivo qualitative analysis software.

Point-of-Care Testing and Creatinine Measurement.

This paper reviews the current status of point-of-care testing (PoCT) devices that are available for measuring whole blood or serum/plasma creatinine globally and within Australasia. Information on non-analytical specifications and analytical performance is provided using data sourced from recently published literature, external quality assurance programs and evaluative work by the author's unit. The limitations of current devices are summarised.

Demonstrating the value of longitudinal integrated placements to general practice preceptors.

Context: This paper aims to consider why general practitioners (GPs) teach, in particular by defining the longitudinal supervisory relationships between rural clinician-preceptors and students.

Methods: A total of 41 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs, practice managers and students. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed for emergent themes.

Teaching procedural skills in general practice.

Background: General practitioners need the skills to perform a core set of procedures. The increase in community based medical education gives GPs more opportunity and responsibility to facilitate medical students and junior doctors' acquisition of these core skills.

Objective: This article summarises how procedural skills are learned and describes a practical framework for constructing a supportive learning environment that is safe for patients and learners.

Clinical simulation in maternity (CSiM): interprofessional learning through simulation team training.

Background: Focusing on interprofessional relations in team performance to improve patient safety is an emerging priority in obstetrics. A review of the literature found little information on roles and teamwork in obstetric emergency training. Qualitative research was undertaken through a Clinical Simulation in Maternity programme which gives interprofessional rural clinicians the opportunity to learn collaboratively through simulated obstetric emergencies.

The National QAAMS Program - A Practical Example of PoCT Working in the Community.

The Quality Assurance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Services (QAAMS) Program is the largest and longest-standing national point-of-care testing (PoCT) program in Australia. With a focus on PoCT for diabetes management, it now operates in 115 Indigenous medical services and has been funded continuously by the Australian Government for 11 years. A recent independent evaluation of the QAAMS Program concluded that the program continues to meet best practice standards for Indigenous healthcare, diabetes management and PoCT.

Where are they now? The career paths of the Remote Vocational Training Scheme registrars.

Background: The Remote Vocational Training Scheme trains doctors in remote communities using distance education and supervision.

Aims: To document the training location, outcomes of training, current location and services provided by program graduates and assess the effectiveness of their training.

Results: Twenty-four doctors graduated from the Remote Vocational Training Scheme program.

A new model to understand the career choice and practice location decisions of medical graduates.

Introduction: Australian medical education is increasingly influenced by rural workforce policy. Therefore, understanding the influences on medical graduates' practice location and specialty choice is crucial for medical educators and medical workforce planners. The South Australian Flinders University Parallel Rural Community Curriculum (PRCC) was funded by the Australian Government to help address the rural doctor workforce shortage.

Evaluation of a training program for device operators in the Australian Government's Point of Care Testing in General Practice Trial: issues and implications for rural and remote practices.

Introduction: From September 2005 to February 2007 the Australian Government funded the Point of Care Testing (PoCT) in General Practice Trial, a multi-centre, cluster randomised controlled trial to determine the safety, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and satisfaction of PoCT in General Practice. In total, 53 practices (23 control and 30 intervention) based in urban, rural or remote locations across three states (South Australia [SA], New South Wales [NSW] and Victoria [VIC]) participated in the Trial. Control practices had pathology testing performed by their local laboratory, while intervention practices conducted pathology testing by PoCT.

Design, implementation and results of the quality control program for the Australian government's point of care testing in general practice trial.

Background: From 2005 to 2007 the Australian Government funded a multicentre, clustered randomized controlled trial to determine the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, satisfaction and safety of point of care testing (PoCT) in general practice (GP). PoC tests measured (and devices used) in the trial were haemoglobin A1c and urine albumin:creatinine ratio (DCA 2000), lipids (Cholestech LDX) and international normalized ratio (CoaguChek S).

Methods: An internal quality control (QC) program was developed as part of a quality management framework for the trial.

Expressed breast milk as 'connection' and its influence on the construction of 'motherhood' for mothers of preterm infants: a qualitative study.

Background: Breast milk is considered the optimal nutrition for all newborn infants. While there is high initiation of lactation among mothers of preterm infants in Australia, there is a rapid decline of continued lactation. Furthermore, there is an inverse relationship between infant gestation and duration of lactation.

Trapped in the net? What to look for in a web based CPD program.

Background: Increasing numbers of general practitioners access web based education programs for continuing professional development (CPD). Web based programs vary in style, content, relevance, reliability, authorship and sponsorship, and hence educational quality.

Objective: This article outlines how to choose a web based CPD program.

Secondary prevention for acute coronary syndrome in rural South Australia: are drugs best? What about the rest?

Introduction: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current Australian clinical guidelines recommend all patients with ACS receive comprehensive secondary prevention services to address this burden. Optimal patient outcomes rely on the timely and effective implementation of proven therapies and for secondary prevention to be successful, pharmacological interventions must be combined with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor identification and management.

The RACGP Fellowship examination - 10 tips for answering key feature problems.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Fellowship examination is a route to vocational registration as a general practitioner in Australia.

Comparative performance of two point-of-care analysers for lipid testing.

The aim of this study was to compare the analytical performance of the Cholestech LDX and CardioChek PA lipid point-of-care devices to a CDC-certified laboratory. Inter-assay imprecision (n=10) for blood samples from 2 patients with different lipid profiles was 3.0% for total cholesterol, 2.

The analytical quality of point-of-care testing in the 'QAAMS' model for diabetes management in Australian aboriginal medical services.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and its major complication, renal disease, represent one of the most significant contemporary health problems facing Australia's Indigenous Aboriginal People. The Australian Government-funded Quality Assurance for Aboriginal Medical Services Program (QAAMS) provides a framework by which on-site point-of-care testing (POCT) for haemoglobin A1c (HbA(1c)) and now urine albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) can be performed to facilitate better diabetes management in Aboriginal medical services. This paper provides updated evidence for the analytical quality of POCT in the QAAMS Program.

Cultural and clinical effectiveness of the 'QAAMS' point-of-care testing model for diabetes management in Australian aboriginal medical services.

The national Quality Assurance for Aboriginal Medical Services (QAAMS) Program, in which point-of-care testing (POCT) for haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) and urine albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR) is performed for diabetes management in 65 Australian Aboriginal medical services, is now embedded in the practice of diabetes care across Indigenous Australia. This paper documents the results of a detailed survey to assess levels of satisfaction with the QAAMS HbA(1c) Program among three key stakeholder groups-doctors, POCT operators and patients with diabetes. Both doctors and patients with diabetes agreed that the immediacy of POCT results contributed positively to patient care, improved the doctor-patient relationship, and made the patient more likely to be both compliant and self-motivated to improve their diabetes control.

Assessment of the practicability and analytical performance of a point-of-care affinity chromatography haemoglobin A1c analyser for use in the non-laboratory setting.

Background: Haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) is a pivotal pathology test used around the world for the long-term management of patients with diabetes. Point-of-care testing (POCT) provides a convenient means for conducting HbA(1c) testing outside the laboratory.

Methods: The practicability and analytical performance of the Micromat II POCT HbA(1c) analyser (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA), which has affinity chromatography as its methods principle, was evaluated in Australia and compared with the DCA 2000 POCT device (Bayer Australia) and a laboratory-based high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.