considerations
what is a major barrier in rural healthcare
geographic distance / isolation
which area has easier access to specialists
metro
what is patient self-management/what does it involve?
Patients managing their own condition - compliance w/medication, lifestyle modification, monitoring symptoms
what are some benefits of rural health
strong doctor patient relationships, community based care, more holistic care, enhanced continuity for managing chronic conditions
what workforce issue affects rural healthcare
workforce shortage: rural areas often have fewer healthcare workers, leading to increased workload and burnout
how is care delivered in metro vs rural
rural: GP led care
what is team-based care?
care involving multiple healthcare professionals
Punctuality of specialist
No physical exam
Wifi access
Camera Access/Quality (Esp. old patients)
Doctor reluctancy to do telehealth
what are some factors affecting the quality of health care in rural areas
socioeconomic - low income, low health literacy
environmental - climate change (extreme weathers can cause stress to farmers), air quality, water quality, heatwaves, vector borne diseases
why is rural care more generalist
lack of specialists requires broader GP roles, lack of access to specialist
who are healthcare professionals other than doctors and nurses that help manage chronic disease patients in rural areas?
allied health professionals
ambulances/patient transport
aged/home care
disability support services
how does a proclivity for greater independence affect management of chronic illnesses?
may decline aids (e.g webster packs)
less likely to follow up/present for exacerbations
limited healthcare resources and services
doctor to patient ratio in rural vs metro
gippsland: 123 (FTE) GPs per 100000 population
melbourne: 227.8 (FTE) GPs per 100000 population
what are the challenges of team-based care
poor communication between different healthcare leading to fragmented and disconnected care
what causes delayed diagnosis/treatment in rural areas
limited access to timely care, lack of diagnosis testing infrastructure or resources, lack of specialists, limited access to imaging or surgery
why is chronic disease burden higher in rural areas
reduced access to care and socioeconomic disadvantage
how many hospital acute beds are there in gippsland vs melbourne
gippsland: 550-600
just the royal melbourne hospital has 1084
who is the most important person on the team?
the patient!
what do you do if a farmer presents because his wife made him?
TAKE THE CASE SERIOUSLY!!!!!