A Curriculum for Achieving Universal Health Care: A Case Study of Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine.

Introduction: Universal Health Care requires equal distribution of a health workforce equipped with competencies appropriate for local population needs. While health inequities persist in the Philippines, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine (ADZU-SOM) in Zamboanga Peninsula - an impoverished and underserved region - has demonstrated significant success retaining graduates and improving local health statistics. This study describes the qualitative evidence of ADZU-SOM students and graduates having positive impacts on local health services and communities, and the contextual factors associated with the school's socially-accountable mission and curriculum that contribute to these impacts. Methods: This qualitative study involved 41 one-on-one or group interviews conducted across seven participant groups (faculty, graduates, final-year students, health professionals, health workers, community members, community leaders). Gale et al's method for analyzing qualitative data in multi-disciplinary health research, WHO's "6 Building Blocks for quality health systems" framework and THEnet's social-accountability framework were used to organize and interpret data. Results: Local community members, community leaders, and health staff consistently reported examples of ADZU-SOM students and graduate doctors developing health infrastructure and providing health education, health promotion, and disease prevention activities accessible to all population groups. Students and graduates suggested these impacts were due to a number of factors, including how ADZU-SOM's sandwich model of longitudinal community-engagement culminating in 10-months continuous community placement in the final year helped them develop a strong motivation for community service, the teachings and curriculum activities that focused on public health and the social determinants of health, and faculty's commitment and ability to operationalize ADZU-SOM's mission and values. Staff also reported impacts were driven by integration of regional and national health priorities as core curriculum, and involving local stakeholders in curriculum development. Conclusions: This study provides qualitative evidence that ADZU-SOM's curriculum content and immersive community placements are training a medical workforce that is strengthening local health systems and health infrastructure across all 6 WHO "Building Blocks for quality health systems." These findings suggest ADZU-SOM has managed to evolve a consciousness toward community service among final year students and graduates, adding evidence to the assertion it is a fully socially-accountable health professions institution.

Key elements of effective postgraduate GP educational environments: a mixed methods study.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence in the literature suggests that satisfaction with postgraduate general practice (GP) training is associated with the quality of the educational environment. This study aimed to examine GP registrars' level of satisfaction with a distributed model of training in a regional educational environment and investigate the relationship between satisfaction and academic performance. STUDY DESIGN: A longitudinal 3-year study was conducted among GP registrars at James Cook University using a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design. GP registrars' satisfaction was obtained using the scan of postgraduate educational environment domains tool. A focus group discussion was conducted to explore GP registrars' perceptions of satisfaction with the educational environment. SETTING: James Cook University General Practice Training (JCU GPT) programme. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred and fifty one (651) GP registrars enrolled between 2016 and 2018 at JCU GPT programme. RESULTS: 651 registrars completed the satisfaction survey between 2016 and 2018. Overall, 92% of the registrars were satisfied with the educational training environment. Registrars who had become fellows reported higher satisfaction levels compared with those who were still in training (mean=4.39 vs 4.20, p=0.001). However, academic performance had no impact on level of satisfaction with the educational environment. Similarly, practice location did not influence registrars' satisfaction rates. Four themes (rich rural/remote educational environment, supportive learning environment, readiness to continue with rural practice and practice culture) emerged from the thematic data analysis. CONCLUSION: A clinical learning environment that focuses on and supports individual learning needs is vital for effective postgraduate medical training. This study suggests that JCU GPT programme's distributed model fostered a satisfying and supportive training environment with rich educational experiences that enhance retention of GP registrars in rural/remote North Queensland, Australia. The findings of this study may be applicable to other settings with similar training models.

How does GP training impact rural and remote underserved communities? Exploring community and professional perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Substantial government funding has been invested to support the training of General Practitioners (GPs) in Australia to serve rural communities. However, there is little data on the impact of this expanded training on smaller communities, particularly for smaller rural and more remote communities. Improved understanding of the impact of training on underserved communities will assist in addressing this gap and inform ongoing investment by governments and communities. METHOD: A purposive sample of GP supervisors, GP registrars, practice managers and health services staff, and community members (n = 40) from previously identified areas of workforce need in rural and remote North-West Queensland were recruited for this qualitative study. Participants had lived in their communities for periods ranging from a few months to 63 years (Median = 12 years). Semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted to explore how establishing GP training placements impacts underserved communities from a health workforce, health outcomes, economic and social perspective. The data were then analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participants reported they perceived GP training to improve communities' health services and health status (accessibility, continuity of care, GP workforce, health status, quality of health care and sustainable health care), some social factors (community connectedness and relationships), cultural factors (values and identity), financial factors (economy and employment) and education (rural pathway). Further, benefits to the registrars (breadth of training, community-specific knowledge, quality of training, and relationships with the community) were reported that also contributed to community development. CONCLUSION: GP training and supervision is possible in smaller and more remote underserved communities and is perceived positively. Training GP registrars in smaller, more remote communities, matches their training more closely with the comprehensive primary care services needed by these communities.

Health Profession Education in Remote or Geographically Isolated Settings: A Scoping Review.

Remote health has been differentiated from rural health in Australia and defined as isolated, with poor service access and a relatively high proportion of Indigenous residents, necessitating different models of care. Educational strategies for remote health practice are often needs driven and the characteristics of remote health may be used to categorise remote health professional education. This scoping review aims to identify the purpose of health professional education for remote settings, the type of educational strategies implemented and the reported outcomes. A broad search of published literature available in online bibliographic databases was conducted. A total of 33 articles met the review inclusion criteria. A further 7 articles were identified for inclusion in the review through citation searches and the authors' networks giving a total of 40 articles. Six primary themes were established based on the educational purpose: (1) cultural competency; (2) social accountability; (3) rural and remote skill development for the general workforce; (4) remote specialisation; (5) specialist skills required for a remote workforce; and (6) remote teaching. These themes also reflect the philosophical change over time recognising remote health as a separate discipline and its value as a distinctive and efficacious learning environment. The concept of education for remote practice is proposed to describe this unique leaning environment which encompasses critical pedagogy to develop a sense of agency and social accountability, embedding the delivery of primary health care through service learning and developing relationships in a context which is transformative.

The impact of localised general practice training on Queensland's rural and remote general practice workforce.

BACKGROUND: The diverse rural medical education initiatives that have been developed in Australia to address the medical workforce maldistribution have been less successful in many smaller and remote communities. This study explored the factors that attract and retain GP registrars and supervisors and the impact that localised training (i.e., rural and remote workplace-based training and support) has on both GP registrars and supervisors, and the GP workforce in rural and remote underserved areas. METHODS: A purposive sample of 79 GP registrars, supervisors, practice managers, health services staff and community representatives living and working in areas of low GP workforce in rural and remote Australia were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews and one focus group divided over two phases. Thematic analysis was used to explore themes within the data. FINDINGS: Attractors and barriers to rural and remote practice were identified as the main themes. Attractors include family and community lifestyle factors, individual intrinsic motivators, and remote medicine experiences. In contrast, barriers include work related, location, or family factors. Further, localised GP training was reported to specifically influence GP registrars and supervisors through education, social and financial factors. CONCLUSION: The current study has provided a contemporary overview of the issues encountered in expanding GP training capacity in rural and remote communities to improve the alignment of training opportunities with community and workforce needs. Strategies including matching scope of practice to registrar interests have been implemented to promote the attractors and lessen the barriers associated with rural and remote practice.

Strategies to improve control of sexually transmissible infections in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: a stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Remote Australian Aboriginal communities have among the highest diagnosed rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in the world. We did a trial to assess whether continuous improvement strategies related to sexual health could reduce infection rates. METHODS: In this stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial (STIs in remote communities: improved and enhanced primary health care [STRIVE]), we recruited primary health-care centres serving Aboriginal communities in remote areas of Australia. Communities were eligible to participate if they were classified as very remote, had a population predominantly of Aboriginal people, and only had one primary health-care centre serving the population. The health-care centres were grouped into clusters on the basis of geographical proximity to each other, population size, and Aboriginal cultural ties including language connections. Clusters were randomly assigned into three blocks (year 1, year 2, and year 3 clusters) using a computer-generated randomisation algorithm, with minimisation to balance geographical region, population size, and baseline STI testing level. Each year for 3 years, one block of clusters was transitioned into the intervention phase, while those not transitioned continued usual care (control clusters). The intervention phase comprised cycles of reviewing clinical data and modifying systems to support improved STI clinical practice. All investigators and participants were unmasked to the intervention. Primary endpoints were community prevalence and testing coverage in residents aged 16-34 years for Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Trichomonas vaginalis. We used Poisson regression analyses on the final dataset and compared STI prevalences and testing coverage between control and intervention clusters. All analyses were by intention to treat and models were adjusted for time as an independent covariate in overall analyses. This study was registered with the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12610000358044. FINDINGS: Between April, 2010, and April, 2011, we recruited 68 primary care centres and grouped them into 24 clusters, which were randomly assigned into year 1 clusters (estimated population aged 16-34 years, n=11 286), year 2 clusters (n=10 288), or year 3 clusters (n=13 304). One primary health-care centre withdrew from the study due to restricted capacity to participate. We detected no difference in the relative prevalence of STIs between intervention and control clusters (adjusted relative risk [RR] 0·97, 95% CI 0·84-1·12; p=0·66). However, testing coverage was substantially higher in intervention clusters (22%) than in control clusters (16%; RR 1·38; 95% CI 1·15-1·65; p=0·0006). INTERPRETATION: Our intervention increased STI testing coverage but did not have an effect on prevalence. Additional interventions that will provide increased access to both testing and treatment are required to reduce persistently high prevalences of STIs in remote communities. FUNDING: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.

Building general practice training capacity in rural and remote Australia with underserved primary care services: a qualitative investigation.

BACKGROUND: Australians living in rural and remote areas have access to considerably fewer doctors compared with populations in major cities. Despite plentiful, descriptive data about what attracts and retains doctors to rural practice, more evidence is needed which informs actions to address these issues, particularly in remote areas. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing General Practitioners (GPs), primary care doctors, and those training to become GPs (registrars) to work and train in remote underserved towns to inform the building of primary care training capacity in areas needing more primary care services (and GP training opportunities) to support their population's health needs. METHODS: A qualitative approach was adopted involving a series of 39 semi-structured interviews of a purposeful sample of 14 registrars, 12 supervisors, and 13 practice managers. Fifteen Australian Medical Graduates (AMG) and eleven International Medical Graduates (IMG), who did their basic medical training in another country, were among the interviewees. Data underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four main themes were identified including 1) supervised learning in underserved communities, 2) impact of working in small, remote contexts, 3) work-life balance, and 4) fostering sustainable remote practice. Overall, the findings suggested that remote GP training provides extensive and safe registrar learning opportunities and supervision is generally of high quality. Supervisors also expressed a desire for more upskilling and professional development to support their retention in the community as they reach mid-career. Registrars enjoyed the challenge of remote medical practice with opportunities to work at the top of their scope of practice with excellent clinical role models, and in a setting where they can make a difference. Remote underserved communities contribute to attracting and retaining their GP workforce by integrating registrars and supervisors into the local community and ensuring sustainable work-life practice models for their doctors. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides important new evidence to support development of high-quality GP training and supervision in remote contexts where there is a need for more GPs to provide primary care services for the population.

Validity of the scan of postgraduate educational environment domains (SPEED) questionnaire in a rural general practice training setting.

BACKGROUND: The educational environment is critical to learning and is determined by social interactions. Trainee satisfaction translates to career commitment, retention and a positive professional attitude as well as being an important factor in assessing the impact of the training program. This study aimed to validate the Scan of Postgraduate Educational Environment Domain (SPEED) tool and assess its appropriateness in evaluating the quality of General Practice (GP) rural postgraduate educational environment. METHODS: A questionnaire containing the 15-item SPEED tool was administered to GP registrars to examine their perceptions of the educational environment. Principal component analysis (PCA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used to gather evidences of the validity of the instrument based on its internal structure. Additional validity evidence and reliability estimates were obtained using many-facet Rasch model analysis (MFRM). RESULTS: The survey was completed by 351 registrars with a response rate of 60%. Parallel analysis performed using principal component analysis and exploratory factor analysis suggests that the SPEED tool is unidimensional. The MFRM analysis demonstrated an excellent degree of infit and outfit for items and training sites, but not for persons. The MFRM analysis also estimated high reliability levels for items (0.98), training sites (0.95) and persons within training sites (ranging from 0.87 to 0.93 in each training sites). Overall, the registrars agreed that the educational environment had high quality, with most (13 out of 15) of the items rated above 4 out of 5. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a high degree of validity and reliability of the SPEED tool for the measurement of the quality of the educational environment in a rural postgraduate GP training context. However, when applied in a new setting, the tool may not function as a multidimensional tool consistent with its theoretical grounding.

Demonstrating a new approach to planning and monitoring rural medical training distribution to meet population need in North West Queensland.

BACKGROUND: Improving the health of rural populations requires developing a medical workforce with the right skills and a willingness to work in rural areas. A novel strategy for achieving this aim is to align medical training distribution with community need. This research describes an approach for planning and monitoring the distribution of general practice (GP) training posts to meet health needs across a dispersed geographic catchment. METHODS: An assessment of the location of GP registrars in a large catchment of rural North West Queensland (across 11 sub-regions) in 2017 was made using national workforce supply, rurality and other indicators. These included (1): Index of Access -spatial accessibility (2); 10-year District of Workforce Shortage (DWS) (3); MMM (Modified Monash Model) rurality (4); SEIFA (Socio-Economic Indicator For Areas) (5); Indigenous population and (6) Population size. Distribution was determined relative to GP workforce supply measures and population health needs in each health sub-region of the catchment. An expert panel verified the approach and reliability of findings and discussed the results to inform planning. RESULTS: 378 registrars and 582 supervisors were well-distributed in two sub-regions; in contrast the distribution was below expected levels in three others. Almost a quarter of registrars (24%) were located in the poorest access areas (Index of Access) compared with 15% of the population located in these areas. Relative to the population size, registrars were proportionally over-represented in the most rural towns, those consistently rated as DWS or those with the poorest SEIFA value and highest Indigenous proportion. CONCLUSIONS: Current regional distribution was good, but individual town-level data further enabled the training provider to discuss the nuance of where and why more registrars (or supervisors) may be needed. The approach described enables distributed workforce planning and monitoring applicable in a range of contexts, with increased sensitivity for registrar distribution planning where most needed, supporting useful discussions about the potential causes and solutions. This evidence-based approach also enables training organisations to engage with local communities, health services and government to address the sustainable development of the long-term GP workforce in these towns.

Factors influencing the use of clinical guidelines by general practitioners working in a setting of complex multimorbidity: a case study by interviews.

BACKGROUND: The Central Australian Remote Practitioners Association Standard Treatment Manual (CARPA) contains protocols for primary health care in remote Central Australia. This context stands in stark contrast to the mainstream settings in Australia and features an Aboriginal population with very poor health status, powerful social determinants of health, geographical isolation and high turnover of health practitioners. The manual consolidates the core elements of national guidelines, particularly as they pertain to Aboriginal health care, into a single document. The aim of this study is to explore factors that promote or impede the use of CARPA by general practitioners (GPs) in Central Australia, with a particular focus on chronic disease management. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with GPs and GP registrars employed in the provision of Aboriginal health care in Central Australia. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed from a critical theory perspective. RESULTS: 11 GPs and 3 GP registrars from the two major Aboriginal primary health services in Central Australia were interviewed. The dominant theme in the data was that poor continuity of care impeded the use of CARPA. The second-most dominant theme was that electronic health record systems enhanced the use of CARPA in some ways, and impeded its use in others. Other factors influencing the use of CARPA included the culture of the health service organisation, GPs' first impressions of CARPA, the accessibility and usability of CARPA, and GPs' confidence practicing in such a unique environment. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies factors from multiple domains that influence the use of best practice guidelines in the delivery of chronic disease care. It demonstrates that such factors may not be purely 'enablers' or 'barriers', but may be a mixture of both. It highlights the critical role of continuity of care and the potential benefits and pitfalls of using electronic health records in providing chronic disease care. This study provides empirical insights that can be used to improve chronic disease care.

Producing a general practice workforce: Let's count what counts.

BACKGROUND: Medical workforce problems still dominate headlines despite considerable investment in education, training and other initiatives. There is little consensus about what Australia's general practice workforce should look like or what training outcomes should be reported. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper was to explore a number of issues relevant to outcomes of workforce programs and offer suggestions for identifying and overcoming these issues. DISCUSSION: Social accountability literature highlights the importance of outcomes focusing on community needs. We suggest that evaluations should 'count what counts' and be careful what is counted. Numbers are only part of the story; not everything that counts is counted, and synergies and cooperation are key. Australia has many general practice workforce programs that are generally heading in the right direction. We believe that closer attention to appropriate outcome measures is important if we are to maximise return on investment and get the best outcomes for the community.

Positive implications from socially accountable, community-engaged medical education across two Philippines regions.

INTRODUCTION: Hundreds of millions of people worldwide lack access to quality health services, largely because of geographic and socioeconomic maldistribution of qualified practitioners. This study describes differences between the practice locations of Philippines medical graduates from two 'socially accountable, community-engaged' health professional education (SAHPE) schools and the practice locations of graduates from two 'conventionally trained' medical schools located in the same respective geographic regions. Licensed medical graduates were currently practising in the Philippines and had been practising for at least 6 months. Graduates were from two Philippines SAHPE schools (Ateneo de Zamboanga University-School of Medicine (ADZU-SOM) on the Zamboanga Peninsula (n=212) and the University of the Philippines Manila-School of Health Sciences (SHS-Palo) in Eastern Visayas (n=71), and from two 'conventional' medical schools Methods: Current graduate practice locations in municipalities or cities were linked with their respective population size and socioeconomic income class, and geocoded using Geographical Information System software onto a geospatial map of the Philippines. Bivariate analysis compared the population size and socioeconomic class of communities where the SAHPE medical graduates practised to communities where 'conventional' medical school graduates practised. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of ADZU-SOM medical graduates practised in communities <100 000 population versus 7% of graduates from the conventional school in the Zamboanga region (p<0.001), while 61% of SHS-Palo medical graduates practised in communities <100 000 population versus 12% of graduates from the conventional school in the Visayas region (p<0.001). Twenty-seven percent of ADZU-SOM graduates practised in lower income category communities (categories 2-6) versus 8% of graduates from the conventional school in the same region (p<0.001), while 49% of SHS-Palo graduates practised in lower income category communities (categories 2-6) versus 11% of graduates from the conventional school in the same region (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SAHPE has contributed to increased medical coverage across rural and/or economically disadvantaged areas in two Philippines regions. The extensive community-based medical student placements associated with SAHPE likely play a significant role in graduates choosing to practice in rural and/or economically disadvantaged communities. Governments experiencing medical workforce maldistributions similar to those in the Philippines should consider SAHPE as a potentially cost-effective strategy in recruiting and retaining health graduates to underserved areas.

Socially accountable medical education strengthens community health services.

CONTEXT: Socially accountable health professional education (SAHPE) is committed to achieving health equity through training health professionals to meet local health needs and serve disadvantaged populations. This Philippines study investigates the impact of SAHPE students and graduates on child and maternal health services and outcomes. METHODS: This is a non-randomised, controlled study involving a researcher-administered survey to 827 recent mothers (≥1 child aged 0-5 years). Five communities were serviced by SAHPE medical graduates or final-year medical students (interns) in Eastern Visayas and the Zamboanga Peninsula, and five communities in the same regions were serviced by conventionally trained (non-SAHPE) graduates. FINDINGS: Mothers in communities serviced by SAHPE-trained medical graduates and interns were more likely than their counterpart mothers in communities serviced by non-SAPHE trained graduates to: have lower gross family income (p < 0.001); have laboratory results of blood and urine samples taken during pregnancy discussed (p < 0.001, respectively); have first pre-natal check-up before 4th month of pregnancy (p = 0.003); receive their first postnatal check-up <7 days of birth (p < 0.001); and have a youngest child with normal (>2500 g) birthweight (p = 0.003). In addition, mothers from SAHPE-serviced communities were more likely to have a youngest child that: was still breastfed at 6 months of age (p = 0.045); received a vitamin K injection soon after birth (p = 0.026); and was fully immunised against polio (p < 0.001), hepatitis B (p < 0.001), measles (p = 0.008) and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (p < 0.001). In communities serviced by conventional medical graduates, mothers from lower socio-economic quartiles (<20 000 Php) were less likely (p < 0.05) than higher socio-economic mothers to: report that their youngest child's delivery was assisted by a doctor; have their weight measured during pregnancy; and receive iron syrups or tablets. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of SAHPE medical graduates or interns in Philippine communities significantly strengthens many recommended core elements of child and maternal health services irrespective of existing income constraints, and is associated with positive child health outcomes.

Addressing health workforce inequities in the Mindanao regions of the Philippines: Tracer study of graduates from a socially-accountable, community-engaged medical school and graduates from a conventional medical school.

Developing and retaining a high-quality medical workforce in low-resource countries is a worldwide challenge. The Filipino Ateneo de Zamboanga University-School of Medicine (ADZU-SOM) has adopted a strong focus on socially accountable health professional education (SAHPE) in order to address the shortage of physicians across rural and urban communities in the Western Mindanao region. A cross-sectional survey of graduates from two Philippines medical schools: ADZU-SOM in the Mindanao region and a medical school with a more conventional curriculum, found ADZU-SOM graduates were more likely to have joined the medical profession due to a desire to help others (p = 0.002), came from lower socioeconomic strata (p = 0.001) and had significantly (p < 0.05) more positive attitudes to community service. ADZU graduates were also more likely to currently work in Government Rural Health Units (p < 0.001) or be generalist Medical Officers (p < 0.001) or Rural/Municipal Health Officers (p = 0.003). ADZU graduates were also less likely to work in private or specialist Government hospitals (p = 0.033 and p = 0.040, respectively) and be surgical or medical specialists (p = 0.010 and p < 0.001, respectively). The findings suggest ADZU-SOM's SAHPE philosophy manifests in the practice choices of its graduates and that the ADZU-SOM can meet the rural and urban health workforce needs of the Western Mindanao region.

Improving Community Health Using an Outcome-Oriented CQI Approach to Community-Engaged Health Professions Education.

Health professionals providing health-care services must have the relevant competencies and clinical experiences needed to improve population health outcomes in different contexts. Current models of health profession education often fail to produce a fit-for-purpose workforce ready and willing to provide relevant, quality care to underserved communities. Evidence is emerging that community-engaged and socially accountable health workforce education, i.e., aligned with priority health needs, produces a workforce ready and willing to work in partnership with underserved regions. This model of education fosters greater affiliation between education and service delivery systems and requires institutions to measure graduate outcomes and institutional impact. The Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet), a partnership of socially accountable health workforce education institutions, has developed and tested a Social Accountability Framework for Health Workforce Education (the Framework) and toolkit to improve alignment of health workforce education with outcomes to assess how well education institutions meet the needs of the communities they serve. The Framework links education and service delivery creating a continuous quality improvement feedback loop to ensure that education addresses needs and maximizes impact on the quality of service delivery. The Framework also provides a unifying set of guidelines for health workforce policy and planning, accreditation, education, research, and service delivery. A key element to ensuring consistent high quality service delivery is an appropriately trained and equitably distributed workforce. An effective and comprehensive mechanism for evaluation is the method of CQI which links the design, implementation, accreditation, and evaluation of health workforce education with health service delivery and health outcomes measurement.

The Alice Springs Hospital Readmission Prevention Project (ASHRAPP): a randomised control trial.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals are frequently faced with high levels of emergency department presentations and demand for inpatient care. An important contributing factor is the subset of patients with complex chronic diseases who have frequent and preventable exacerbations of their chronic diseases. Evidence suggests that some of these hospital readmissions can be prevented with appropriate transitional care. Whilst there is a growing body of evidence for transitional care processes in urban, non-indigenous settings, there is a paucity of information regarding rural and remote settings and, specifically, the indigenous context. METHODS: This randomised control trial compares a tailored, multidimensional transitional care package to usual care. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy of the transitional care package for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian patients with chronic diseases at risk of recurrent readmission with the aim of reducing readmission rates and improving transition to primary care in a remote setting. Patients will be recruited from medical and surgical admissions to Alice Springs Hospital and will be followed for 12 months. The primary outcome measure will be number of admissions to hospital with secondary outcomes including number of emergency department presentations, number of ICU admissions, days alive and out of hospital, time to primary care review post discharge and cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION: Successful transition from hospital to home is important for patients with complex chronic diseases. Evidence suggests that a coordinated transitional care plan can result in a reduction in length of hospital stay and readmission rates for adults with complex medical needs. This will be the first study to evaluate a tailored multidimensional transitional care intervention to prevent readmission in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian residents of remote Australia who are frequently admitted to hospital. If demonstrated to be effective it will have implications for the care and management of Indigenous Australians throughout regional and remote Australia and in other remote, culturally and linguistically diverse populations and settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12615000808549 - Retrospectively registered on 4/8/15.

The impact of socially-accountable health professional education: A systematic review of the literature.

This literature review describes the impact of health professional schools with a social accountability mandate by identifying characteristics of medical education found to impact positively on medical students, health workforce, and health outcomes of disadvantaged communities. A critical appraisal tool was used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the published articles. Data are presented as a narrative synthesis due to the variety of methodologies in the studies, and characterized using a logic model. Health professional schools aiming to improve health outcomes for their disadvantaged local communities described collaborative partnerships with communities, equitable selection criteria, and community-engaged placements in underserved areas as positively impacting the learning and attitudes of students. Students of socially accountable schools were more likely to stay in rural areas and serve disadvantaged communities, and were often more skilled than students from more traditional schools to meet the needs of underserved communities. However, published literature on the impact of socially accountable health professional education on communities and health outcomes is limited, with only one study investigating health outcomes. The findings of this literature review guide schools on the inputs likely to maximize their socially accountability outputs and increase their impact on students, local health workforce and local communities.

Community outreach midwifery-led model improves antenatal access in a disadvantaged population.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact of a new model of antenatal care for women living in a very remote area. DESIGN: This is a retrospective 2-year evaluation of antenatal care. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirteen pregnant women in Aboriginal communities in the Fitzroy Valley of Western Australia participated in this study. INTERVENTION: The implementation of a midwifery-led interdisciplinary model of antenatal outreach care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The indicators measured were numbers of antenatal visits, their location and quality care indicators (presentation in first trimester, alcohol and smoking, ultrasound and blood-borne virus screening) and outcome indicators (birth weight, prematurity, in utero deaths and mode of delivery). RESULTS: There was an increase in access to antenatal care and improvements in quality-of-care indicators. The proportion of visits provided in local Aboriginal communities increased from 10% to 24%. There were statistically significant increases in women presenting in the first trimester (40-58%), screening for alcohol and smoking (48-93%) and having an ultrasound in pregnancy (59-94%). There were no significant improvements in neonatal outcome indicators. CONCLUSION: There is a large disparity in maternal and child health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) and non-Indigenous Australians thought to be due to decreased access to antenatal care, poorer socioeconomic status and the associated risk factors. The change in model of care resulted in earlier presentation for antenatal care, increased numbers of antenatal visits and increased screening for risk factors. Regular auditing of services enables the identification of opportunity for improvement with the goal of improving health outcomes.