Aust Fam Physician
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There were 900 encounters at which patients were referred to A&E over the 5 year period. There was no difference between male and female referral rates (0.2 per 100 encounters). ⋯ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients were over represented at 3.3 per 100 compared with the BEACH average of 1.1. Patients new to the practice were seen at A&E encounters at twice the average rate (20.5 per 100 compared with 9.0 in total BEACH).
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Most Australian and all New Zealand residents now have 24 hour access to free telephone advice and symptom triage. Australasia is following an international trend triggered by a perceived need for standardised advice, demand management (primary care and emergency department), and equity of access. A growing literature describes the impact of this new service on existing primary health services. ⋯ Australian and New Zealand services are similar with respect to the demographics of callers, when they call, and the issues on which they seek advice. Further study is needed in order to understand how telenursing can best be integrated with general practice and other primary care services.
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Participatory action research engenders change not just through research outcomes but through the research process itself. Collaboration between researchers and those being researched is intrinsic to the model. ⋯ A systematic approach, flexibility and a willingness to engage are necessary for researchers to successfully undertake a project using the participatory action framework. The benefits of participatory action research extend to both the community and the researchers.
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The medical humanities is a broad area of study and practice encompassing all nontechnical or 'human' aspects of medicine. ⋯ The medical humanities serve three main goals: the study of the human aspects of medicine from within traditional arts disciplines of history, philosophy, sociology and literature; the intersection of medicine and the creative arts; and the training of more insightful and compassionate doctors. This article briefly explores these three goals and discusses their value for the medical community.