Application of the Ipswich Touch Test for diabetic peripheral neuropathy screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most important risk factors of diabetic foot ulcers, and early screening and treatment of DPN are crucial. The Ipswich Touch Test (IPTT) is a new method for screening for DPN and, compared with traditional methods, is more simple to operate and requires no equipment. However, the screening accuracy of IPTT in patients with DPN has not been well characterised.

Interventions for health workforce retention in rural and remote areas: a systematic review.

Background: Attracting and retaining sufficient health workers to provide adequate services for residents of rural and remote areas has global significance. High income countries (HICs) face challenges in staffing rural areas, which are often perceived by health workers as less attractive workplaces. The objective of this review was to examine the quantifiable associations between interventions to retain health workers in rural and remote areas of HICs, and workforce retention.

Health and support service needs of individuals with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: a scoping review protocol.

Background: All individuals should have the right to engage meaningfully in occupations that meet their aspirations and life goals as well as promote their health and well-being. For individuals with disability, meaningful engagement in occupations is supported by timely, effective, and adaptive health and support services. However, research has revealed multiple barriers preventing utilization of these services by individuals with disability from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Interventions to ensure medication safety in acute care: an umbrella review.

Background: Medication errors are one of the leading avoidable sources of harm to hospital patients. In hospitals, a range of interventions have been used to reduce the risk of errors at each of the points they may occur, such as prescription, dispensing and/or administration. Systematic reviews have been conducted on many of these interventions; however, it is difficult to compare the clinical utility of any of the separate interventions without the use of a rigorous umbrella review methodology.

Effectiveness of strategies for reducing risky alcohol consumption among youth living in rural or remote areas: a systematic review protocol.

Objective: The aim of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies for reducing risky alcohol consumption among youth living in rural and remote areas.

Introduction: Youth living in rural and remote areas are more likely to drink alcohol and are at higher risk of experiencing alcohol-related harm than youth living in urban locations. However, a review has not yet been conducted evaluating the effectiveness of strategies for reducing young people's risky alcohol consumption in rural and remote locations.

Retention strategies and interventions for health workers in rural and remote areas: a systematic review protocol.

Objective: The objective of the current review is to examine the association between exposure to strategies or interventions to retain health workers in rural and remote areas of high-income countries and improved retention rates.

Introduction: Attracting and retaining sufficient healthcare staff to provide adequate services for residents of rural and remote areas is an international problem. High-income countries have specific challenges in staffing remote and rural areas; despite the majority of the population clustering in large cities, a significant number of communities are in rural, remote or frontier areas which may be perceived as less attractive locations in which to live and work.

Association between restriction policies and rate of alcohol-related harm in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: a systematic review protocol.

Objective: This review aims to examine the association between alcohol restriction policies and rates of alcohol-related harms in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Introduction: A number of different strategies have been used to reduce the harms and costs associated with excessive alcohol consumption in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These strategies, implemented at federal and state government levels, as well as by individual communities, have aimed to promote reduced alcohol consumption or prohibit consumption entirely.

Disaster management in rural and remote primary healthcare settings: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: This scoping review aims to systematically identify and map the roles of primary healthcare professionals in rural and remote areas during natural, man-made and pandemic disasters.

Introduction: Disasters can be caused by natural events, man-made incidents or infective agents resulting in a pandemic. Healthcare practitioners working in primary care settings have important roles during disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.