Interpersonal violence presentations to general practitioners in Western Australia: implications for rural and community health

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn B. Meuleners ◽  
Andy H. Lee ◽  
Jianhong Xia ◽  
Michelle Fraser ◽  
Delia Hendrie
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas

Objective. To estimate the incidence of interpersonal violence presentations to general practitioners (GPs). Methods. A postal survey of all GPs in Western Australia (WA) was conducted in 2009 using a structured questionnaire. Results. Among the n = 476 respondents (response rate 28%), 379 GPs treated 9572 patients for a violent incident during the past year. The rate of violent presentations in rural WA was double that of metropolitan areas (incident rate ratio (IRR) 1.9, 95% CI 1.8–2.0), whereas the rate of violent episodes in remote GP practices was 7-fold higher (IRR 7.2, 95% CI 6.8–7.6). Halls Creek in remote northern WA was found to be a ‘hot spot’ with a high cluster of violence cases, whereas metropolitan suburbs surrounding Perth had relatively low concentrations of violence presentations. Conclusions. Further understanding of the size and nature of the problem is required in view of the low response rate. High-risk groups, such as women and those living in rural and remote areas, should be targeted for special attention. What is known about the topic? Previous studies of interpersonal violence have been based on victim surveys or crime databases, which are subjected to both under- and over-reporting. Hospital admission and mortality statistics represent severe injuries resulting from violence episodes. However, victims who sought treatment from GPs are not routinely recorded. What does this paper add? Rural and remote GP practices reported a higher incident of violent presentations than their metropolitan counterparts. The finding provides a basis to further investigate the level of GP services for treating interpersonal violence injuries. What are the implications for practitioners? Sentinel surveillance of GPs is recommended. High-risk groups such as women and those living in rural and remote areas should be targeted for attention.

scholarly journals Coordinating rural divisions:The workforce window

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Williams
Keyword(s):  
General Practice ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
State Level ◽  
Medical Workforce ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Workforce Issues ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas ◽  
Organisational Structures

Divisions of General Practice have been established to alleviate the professionalisolation which general practitioners face by being excluded from involvement in otherparts of the health care system. Divisions facilitate the development of localcommunication networks and cooperative activities which improve the integrationof general practice with other elements of the health system.Coordination of communication is one of the strengths of divisions at the local leveland Rural Divisions Co-ordinating Units at the State level. This strength is beingeffectively utilised to target general practice workforce issues. Given the significantproportion of general practitioners in the medical workforce, particularly in rural andremote areas, this has implications for broader medical workforce issues.Australia faces a maldistribution in its general practitioner workforce, with an excesssupply in urban areas and a significant shortfall in rural and remote areas. Since1995?96, the General Practice Rural Incentives Program, which targets therecruitment and retention of rural doctors, has devolved funding to the RuralDivisions Co-ordinating Units to coordinate the statewide provision of practicalassistance to rural general practitioners, through their divisions, in relation tocontinuing medical education and the provision of locums. There is potential to buildon the successes of these initiatives and also to work with urban divisions through thestate-based organisational structures which are currently being developed.

scholarly journals Unmet psychological and practical needs of patients with cancer in rural and remote areas of Western Australia

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate White ◽  
Jessica Roydhouse ◽  
Natalie D'Abrew ◽  
Paul Katris ◽  
Moira O'Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas

10. THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL: A NOVEL APPROACH TO CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS TESTING USING SELF COLLECTED, MAILED SPECIMEN

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 288
Author(s):  
M. B. Skinner ◽  
R. Muller ◽  
S. Bialasiewicz ◽  
J. Debattista
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Chlamydia Testing ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas

Background: The progress in chlamydia testing/management seems to have stalled in Australia over the last years with persistent high prevalences observed in known risk groups. A novel approach is needed to lower the barriers to testing especially in those who are socially isolated and/or live in rural or remote locations. Aim: To develop, implement and evaluate a novel approach to chlamydia testing in the form of a 'self-collection testing kit' that is easily accessible, confidential, free of charge, easy to use, and allows for home self-collection of specimens, their transportation by regular mail and the central management (notification, treatment and follow-up) of results. Methods: The developed 'kit' consists of all necessary items and instructions to obtain a sample. A network of 'kit' distribution sites at locations frequented by the target population has been established in urban as well as rural and remote areas. The 'kits' can also be requested via an advertised website and a 1800 phone number. Specimens are returned via reply paid mail. A centralised system for the management of results and follow up of individuals has been developed. Test results are conveyed to participants by the method of their choice including email, SMS and phone. Treatment is organised via a network of health care providers in various locations. Results/Discussion: First promising results and experiences from the implementation phase of this novel approach to chlamydia testing will be presented covering distribution and uptake of 'kits', return of specimens as well as management and follow up. If eventually proven successful, this approach to chlamydia testing will provide significant opportunities for increasing access to testing across Australia especially in rural and remote areas. An extension to gonorrhoea testing is possible. This project is supported by the 'National Chlamydia Pilot Program' funding of innovative chlamydia projects.

scholarly journals Comparison of three cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Western Australia: 2003, 2007 and 2011

2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (11) ◽  
pp. 1413-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Y. Ng-Hublin ◽  
B. Combs ◽  
S. Reid ◽  
U. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Protozoan Parasite ◽  
Diarrhoeal Disease ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Cryptosporidium Hominis ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas ◽  
Mode Of Transmission

AbstractCryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that causes the diarrhoeal disease, cryptosporidiosis. Although many species have been identified, the majority of human disease worldwide is caused by two species; Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In Australia, data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) show that cryptosporidiosis outbreaks occur every few years. To better understand the transmission, trends and nature of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in Western Australia, epidemiological and genomic data from three cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in 2003, 2007 and 2011 were reviewed. The 2007 outbreak was the largest (n = 607) compared with the outbreaks in 2003 (n = 404) and 2011 (n = 355). All three outbreaks appeared to have occurred predominantly in the urban metropolitan area (Perth), which reported the highest number of case notifications; increases in case notifications were also observed in rural and remote areas. Children aged 0–4 years and non-Aboriginal people comprised the majority of notifications in all outbreaks. However, in the 2003 and 2007 outbreaks, a higher proportion of cases from Aboriginal people was observed in the remote areas. Molecular data were only available for the 2007 (n = 126) and 2011 (n = 42) outbreaks, with C. hominis the main species identified in both outbreaks. Subtyping at the glycoprotein 60 (gp60) locus identified subtype IbA10G2 in 46.3% and 89.5% of C. hominis isolates typed, respectively, in the 2007 and 2011 outbreaks, with the IdA15G1 subtype was identified in 33.3% of C. hominis isolates typed in the 2007 outbreak. The clustering of cases with the IdA15G1 subtype in the remote areas suggests the occurrence of a concurrent outbreak in remote areas during the 2007 outbreak, which primarily affected Aboriginal people. Both the C. hominis IbA10G2 and IdA15G1 subtypes have been implicated in cryptosporidiosis outbreaks worldwide; its occurrence indicates that the mode of transmission in both the 2007 and 2011 outbreaks was anthroponotic. To better understand the epidemiology, sources and transmission of cryptosporidiosis in Australia, genotyping data should routinely be incorporated into national surveillance programmes.

scholarly journals A Possible Smart Metering System Evolution for Rural and Remote Areas Employing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Internet of Things in Smart Grids

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1627
Author(s):  
Giovanni Battista Gaggero ◽  
Mario Marchese ◽  
Aya Moheddine ◽  
Fabio Patrone
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Internet Of Things ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Smart Metering ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Electrical Grid ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Consumption Data ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas

The way of generating and distributing energy throughout the electrical grid to all users is evolving. The concept of Smart Grid (SG) took place to enhance the management of the electrical grid infrastructure and its functionalities from the traditional system to an improved one. To measure the energy consumption of the users is one of these functionalities that, in some countries, has already evolved from a periodical manual consumption reading to a more frequent and automatic one, leading to the concept of Smart Metering (SM). Technology improvement could be applied to the SM systems to allow, on one hand, a more efficient way to collect the energy consumption data of each user, and, on the other hand, a better distribution of the available energy through the infrastructure. Widespread communication solutions based on existing telecommunication infrastructures instead of using ad-hoc ones can be exploited for this purpose. In this paper, we recall the basic elements and the evolution of the SM network architecture focusing on how it could further improve in the near future. We report the main technologies and protocols which can be exploited for the data exchange throughout the infrastructure and the pros and cons of each solution. Finally, we propose an innovative solution as a possible evolution of the SM system. This solution is based on a set of Internet of Things (IoT) communication technologies called Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) which could be employed to improve the performance of the currently used technologies and provide additional functionalities. We also propose the employment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to periodically collect energy consumption data, with evident advantages especially if employed in rural and remote areas. We show some preliminary performance results which allow assessing the feasibility of the proposed approach.

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