The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2017
Management of community-acquired pneumonia in an Australian regional hospital.
Current management of hospitalised patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in an Australian regional hospital in accordance with the recommended guidelines is unknown. The prescription rate of inappropriate antibiotic therapy was measured and analysed. ⋯ In an Australian regional hospital, ceftriaxone and azithromycin were the predominant combination used at 56%, demonstrating that mild CAP was frequently overtreated. Mild CAP was eight times more likely to be treated as severe CAP (odds ratio = 8.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.7-40.3) P < 0.009). There is a need for a simple yet effective strategy to be introduced to rationalise treatment and investigation of CAP in this setting.
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Investigations around ageing with an intellectual disability have increased substantially in the past three decades. A research gap continued to exist regarding the detection of ageing issues in this cohort of people, particularly in rural areas where access to specialist support continued to be limited. The purpose of this study was to identify the main signs of ageing in rural people with intellectual disabilities. ⋯ When carers have the information and skills needed to identify the main signs of ageing, they can more accurately recognise and address potential problems in a timely manner. Such understandings have the potential to reduce premature admissions to residential aged-care.
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Aust J Rural Health · Apr 2016
Predictors of frequent emergency department visits among rural older adults in Ontario using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Home Care.
To describe factors predicting frequent emergency department (ED) use among rural older adults receiving home care services in Ontario, Canada. ⋯ Despite popular assumptions, the main drivers for frequent ED use among rural older adults in Ontario included a mix of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, rather than disease diagnoses.
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Aust J Rural Health · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyCancer services in Western Australia: A comparison of regional outcomes with metropolitan Perth.
To investigate whether any survival differences existed between advanced cancer patients treated in metropolitan Perth and those treated in regional Western Australia (WA). ⋯ Our findings suggest a trend towards inferior survival for regional cancer patients in WA compared with metropolitan-based patients.
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Aust J Rural Health · Aug 2015
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community governance of health research: Turning principles into practice.
Gaps exist in researchers' understanding of the 'practice' of community governance in relation to research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. ⋯ Principles-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community governance of research is very achievable. Next steps include developing a comprehensive evidence base for appropriate governance structures and procedures, and consolidating a suite of practical guides for structuring clear governance in health research.