The Medical journal of Australia
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To examine bulk-billing rates and out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner services in Australia at the Statistical Area 3 (SA3) level; to assess differences by area-level socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness. ⋯ Although most general practitioner services are bulk-billed, out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed services are relatively high, particularly for people in remote and socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Australia.
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To evaluate the quantity and quality of medical care provided by the Western NSW Local Health District Virtual Rural Generalist Service (VRGS). ⋯ In the current environment of rural medical workforce shortages, the VRGS achieved similar outcomes on routinely collected measures of quality of care. It is demonstrably an option for complementing and enhancing the delivery of medical care in rural and remote communities with limited or no local medical services.
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Observational Study
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Victoria, 2003-2022: retrospective analysis of Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry data.
To examine changes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) characteristics and outcomes during 2003-2022, and 12-month outcomes for people who experienced OHCA during 1 January 2010 - 30 June 2022. ⋯ Utstein survival to hospital discharge increased threefold during 2003-2022, and the proportions of cases in which bystanders provided cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or public access defibrillation increased. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a substantial reduction in survival, and new strategies are needed to improve outcomes.