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Rural health around the world: challenges and solutions.

Despite the huge differences between developing and developed countries, access is the major issue in rural health around the world. Even in the countries where the majority of the population lives in rural areas, the resources are concentrated in the cities. All countries have difficulties with transport and communication, and they all face the challenge of shortages of doctors and other health professionals in rural and remote areas. Many rural people are caught in the poverty- ill health-low productivity downward spiral, particularly in developing countries. Since 1992, WONCA, the World Organization of Family Doctors, has developed a specific focus on rural health through the WONCA Working Party on Rural Practice. This Working Party has drawn national and international attention to major rural health issues through World Rural Health Conferences and WONCA Rural Policies. The World Health Organization (WHO) has broadened its focus beyond public health to partnership with family practice, initially through a landmark WHO-WONCA Invitational Conference in Canada. From this has developed the Memorandum of Agreement between WONCA and WHO which emphasizes the important role of family practitioners in primary health care and also includes the Rural Health Initiative. In April 2002, WHO and WONCA held a major WHO-WONCA Invitational Conference on Rural Health. This conference addressed the immense challenges for improving the health of people of rural and remote areas of the world and initiated a specific action plan: The Global Initiative on Rural Health. The "Health for All" vision for rural people is more likely to be achieved through joint concerted efforts of international and national bodies working together with doctors, nurses and other health workers in rural areas around the world.

Culture↗

Using relationship marketing to develop and sustain nurse loyalty: a case of a rural health care institution.

The prosperity of a health care organization is contingent on its ability to compete for and retain a high quality staff of "loyal" nurses. Although the benefits of maintaining a loyal nursing staff are obvious, turnover in the health care industry is dangerously high. One solution for reducing turnover is to develop and sustain a loyal nursing staff. The purpose of this article is to apply customer-oriented marketing theories and practices to better understand how strong nurse-provider relationships can be developed and maintained over time. The authors first examine relationship marketing literature as it applies to nurse relationship and management issues. Second, a framework for conceptualizing internal marketing efforts devoted to enhancing nursing staff satisfaction and retention in tested. Finally, strategies for practicing relationship marketing will be provided.

Health Services Research↗

Pharmacy immunization partnerships: a rural model.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the Pharmacy Immunization Project, a pharmacy/county health department (CHD) partnership model for immunizing infants and adults in rural areas, and to develop service procedures and disseminate lessons learned for adapting the model to different settings. SETTING: Independent community pharmacies in five contiguous rural counties in West Virginia. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Participating pharmacies varied markedly in space, prescription volume, and population of service areas. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Childhood and adult immunization service. INTERVENTIONS: Pharmacists partnered with nurses from CHDs to offer year-round immunizations at times when other providers were typically closed. Working under standing orders of the CHD medical directors, nurses also conducted routine well-baby examinations in the pharmacy. Promotions involved direct mailing, posters, fliers, direct communication, and ads in newspapers, radio, and TV. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pharmacists' and CHDs' continued willingness to participate, use of the service by local citizens, and feedback from participants and other health care providers and the West Virginia Immunization Program (WVIP). RESULTS: All sites except one continued their participation through the life of the project. The one exception was a pharmacy with few infant patients, which discontinued participation during year 4 of the project. Remaining sites were used and well accepted by the community. The WVIP remains a loyal supporter, and no problems arose with local health care providers. CONCLUSION: The model appears adaptable to urban as well as rural practice and to chain as well as independent practice in states not authorizing pharmacists to administer vaccines, for pharmacists who for other reasons prefer not to administer, and for those who prefer to offer adult immunization on a seasonal basis. From the CHD perspective, the partnership model is useful in establishing "satellite" locations to target hard-to-reach patients. Recommendations regarding agreements and responsibilities are available, as are lessons learned during project development.

Adult↗

[Specific features of sexual maturation in urban and rural adolescent girls].

Eight hundred and fifteen adolescent girls aged 14 to 17 years who live in Orenburg and rural areas have been examined. The age-specific and regional features of their physical and sexual maturation were studied. Assessment of the findings suggests that there are differences in the processes of physical and sexual development between urban and rural adolescent girls. Early identification of the factors that influence the development of senior schoolgirls will allow one to implement preventive measures to preserve reproductive health in the girls.

Adolescent↗

Community participation in the recruitment and retention of rural doctors: methodological and logistical considerations.

Two Queensland rural communities with histories of poor general practitioner (GP) recruitment and retention participated in a process aimed at developing broadly based community action plans to recruit and retain GPs. Despite their very different physical and social characteristics, the two communities developed many similar objectives and strategies, which had the possibility of being implemented more widely. The community participation process can be both time- and cost-effective if consideration is given to a variety of methodological and logistical issues. The process is a means by which communities, Divisions of General Practice, government, academic institutions and others can work together to recruit and retain medical practitioners.

Community Participation↗

IQ on the rise: the Flynn effect in rural Kenyan children.

Multiple studies have documented significant IQ gains over time, a phenomenon labeled the Flynn effect. Data from 20 industrialized nations show massive IQ gains over time, most notably in culturally reduced tests like the Raven's Progressive Matrices. To our knowledge, however, this is the first study to document the Flynn effect in a rural area of a developing country. Data for this project were collected during two large studies in Embu, Kenya, in 1984 and 1998. Results strongly support a Flynn effect over this 14-year period, with the most significant gains found in Raven's matrices. Previously hypothesized explanations (e.g., improved nutrition; increased environmental complexity; and family, parental, school, and methodological factors) for the Flynn effect are evaluated for their relevance in this community, and other potential factors are reviewed. The hypotheses that resonate best with our findings are those related to parents' literacy, family structure, and children's nutrition and health.

Child↗

Pharmacological treatment of severe psychiatric disorders in the developing world : lessons from India.

Severe psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder) cause much morbidity and disability in developing countries. Most of the evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of drug treatments for these disorders is based on trials conducted in Western countries. Cultural, biological and health system factors may profoundly influence the applicability of such evidence in developing countries. Attitudes towards, and concepts about, psychiatric disorders vary across cultures, and these may influence the acceptability of drug treatments. Genetic and environmental factors may lead to variations in the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of psychotropic drugs across ethnic groups. This may explain why lower doses of psychotropic drugs tend to be used for non-Caucasian patients. There is a dearth of mental health professionals and care facilities in developing countries, especially in rural areas. Epidemiological studies show that, despite this lack of services, the outcome of schizophrenia is favourable in developing countries. This suggests that cultural, genetic or environmental factors may play as much of a role in influencing outcome as access to antipsychotic treatment. Regional drug policies may influence the availability and cost of psychotropic drugs. In particular, the Indian experience, where drugs are manufactured by several local pharmaceutical firms, thus bringing their cost down, may represent a unique deregulated drug industry. However, the impending impact of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, with the strict enforcement of patent laws, will almost certainly lead to a rise in drug costs in the coming years. This may influence the choice and cost effectiveness of various drugs. The implications of these cross-cultural variations for policy and practice are the need to ensure a reliable supply of affordable psychotropic drugs in developing countries, trained healthcare professionals to use these drugs rationally, a concerted advocacy campaign to exclude drugs for severe psychiatric disorders from patent protection, and the development of psychosocial programmes to improve global outcomes.

Central Nervous System Agents↗

Addressing the health information needs of rural Missouri health care providers: an IAIMS assistant experience.

A one-year internship at the University of Missouri-Columbia offered an opportunity for a health sciences librarian to contribute to Integrated Advanced Information Management Systems (IAIMS) activities and take information management ideas back home. The IAIMS Assistant addressed information access issues. The Assistant helped to develop and administer a "Rural Provider Questionnaire" to assess the information needs of rural Missouri health care providers. The Health Sciences Library developed a Web page to bring together services and information resources in response to the perceived needs of health care providers associated with the Health Sciences Center. The article discusses the librarians' role in IAIMS initiatives.

Community Networks↗

Using Oncology Nursing Society Cancer Chemotherapy Guidelines as a basis for continuing education in rural hospitals.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe a workshop developed to teach nurses caring for patients with cancer in a southern, rural area how to administer chemotherapy in an inpatient or homecare setting. DATA SOURCES: The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Cancer Chemotherapy Guidelines and published articles and books. DATA SYNTHESIS: An oncology clinical nurse specialist teaching at a local university developed and presented 10 hours of didactic content and a 6-hour clinical practicum. The workshop was conducted in association with a community hospital, which offered oncology care to patients with cancer in the community. CONCLUSIONS: All nurses who successfully completed the workshop demonstrated improved ability in caring for patients with cancer and in administering chemotherapy. The ONS Cancer Chemotherapy Guidelines provided an excellent outline for the development of an initial course on the science of chemotherapy and management of related symptoms. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Many nurses work in rural areas where they are expected to provide competent nursing care to a variety of specialized patient populations, yet they have limited access to educational opportunities. A workshop format is feasible and can provide the education necessary for nurses who care for patients with cancer.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

The impact of migration on the spatial structure of rural settlement.

"Changes in the system of settlement in Staraya Russa Rayon, Novgorod Oblast [USSR], are traced. Migration from peripheral areas of the rayon to the suburban zone of Staraya Russa and to larger inhabited places along highways has transformed the historical pattern of settlement focused on river valleys into a new pattern focused on the central city of Staraya Russa, i.e., from the traditional dendritic configuration into a monocentric pattern. The impact of the migration process on land use is discussed, and it is suggested that abandoned peripheral villages be converted to recreation uses."

Agriculture↗

[An example of the application of factorial analysis of correspondences to infant mortality and its prevention in a rural area of West Africa].

A retrospective study through questionnaire was made among over 800 women of a Pre-Sahel region of Mali. It confirmed the very high infant and child mortality in this population: over 250% mortality under 1 year of age and over 400% under 6 years of age. The factorial analysis of correspondences proved adequate to determine the main characteristics of the local mortality pattern. In chronological order, the most important causes are obstetrical factors (1st day of life), umbilical tetanus (1 week to 1 month of age), malaria (1 month to 1 year of age), pneumopathies (including pertussis and lung complications of measles), toxicoses and nutritional syndromes (over 1 year of age). Preventive measures at various levels are proposed on the basis of these findings. They belong to three broad groups: -Overall socioeconomic development with effective participation of the rural communities concerned. -Development of an appropriate primary health care structure, with a primary health care team in each village. -Strengthening of the programmes of control of the most important communicable diseases. Such simple and cheap actions should, given a clear political will of the national authorities and a modicum of trust in the future on the part of local leaders, be rapidly implementable even in the most underprivileged countries and bring a significant amount of progress in the rural areas.

Child, Preschool↗

Developing community-academic partnerships to enhance breast health among rural and Hispanic migrant and seasonal farmworker women.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine effective strategies for building community-academic partnerships for the promotion of breast cancer education and outreach among rural and Hispanic migrant and seasonal farmworker women, mostly from Mexican descent. DATA SOURCES: Published research and education articles and books, community-education models, personal experiences, and community key informant feedback. DATA SYNTHESIS: Effective community partnerships for enhanced education and outreach include a framework based on a network of partners with common goals, communication processes based on trust, and bilingual/bicultural and culturally competent staff. CONCLUSIONS: A sustainable community partnership can be achieved through systematic but flexible approaches to community planning. Involvement of community members in the development and implementation of education and screening activities helps ensure that community needs are met. Relationships based on mutual respect are key. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses can act as catalysts through community capacity building to create community-academic partnerships to reach medically underserved populations with cancer screening, outreach, and education through the delivery of strategies that are based on common goals.

Academies and Institutes↗

Gundhu Adolescent Wing: providing adolescent beds in a rural acute mental health unit.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the evolution, structure and outcomes of Gundhu Adolescent Wing, Toowoomba, Queensland, which comprises six dedicated beds set aside during development of a new rural acute mental health unit. METHODS: All adolescents discharged from Gundhu in its first 7 months were included in the study. Data pertaining to patient characteristics, model of service delivery, length of inpatient stay and outcome at 7 months were obtained. RESULTS: Thirty-three adolescents with mental illness living in the rural area were discharged from Gundhu in the first 7 months. For the 23 adolescents who stayed on the unit <14 days, outcome at 7 months after discharge was generally favourable. Six adolescents with length of stay of >or=30 days did less well, but made similar progress to patients in tertiary units. CONCLUSIONS: From the authors' experience, designating a small number of beds as adolescent within a rural acute mental health unit is an effective intervention for short-stay patients and is valued by adolescents and their families. Keeping the adolescent unit separate is beneficial even at the expense of foregoing access to space and facilities enjoyed by adult patients. Involving families early to provide off-ward fun, exercise and socialization with peers is important. Rural services tend to have high staff turnover. Involving rural general practitioners in follow-up plans may ensure better continuity of care after discharge.

Adolescent↗

Survey of rural family physician-obstetricians in Southwestern Ontario.

INTRODUCTION: The objectives of this paper are 1) to analyze the characteristics of rural physicians who currently practise obstetrics, their training background and the environment in which they work and 2) to develop strategies to sustain rural obstetrical services. METHODS: Information was gathered using both a survey and brief individual interviews. PARTICIPANTS: A survey was sent to 56 family physicians who currently practise obstetrics,as well as those who had stopped within the past 2 years, in the Southwestern Ontario communities of Clinton, Goderich, Hanover, Kincardine, Markdale, Mount Forest, Palmerston, Walkerton, Wiarton and Wingham. RESULTS: Forty-four physicians responded to the survey. Results indicate that current obstetrical training programs are lacking in the following areas: the provision of positive role models/mentors, rural placements, experience in complex decision-making, and instilling confidence in graduates. Physicians appear to be internally motivated to practise obstetrics, claiming it is important to their professional goals and personal values. Support systems of colleagues, nursing staff, administration, family and friends, were identified as vital components of a successful obstetrical program. CONCLUSION: Educators are advised to identify students with an internal motivation to practise rural obstetrics early in their medical training and provide them with mentors, rural placements, confidence and experience in complex decision-making.

Adult↗

Exercise induced bronchospasm in Ghana: differences in prevalence between urban and rural schoolchildren.

BACKGROUND: As more developing countries adopt a westernised style of living, an increase in the prevalence of asthma can be expected to occur in these areas. A study was undertaken to establish the normal response to exercise in Ghanaian children and to use these normal values to determine the prevalence of exercise induced bronchospasm (EIB) in urban rich (UR), urban poor (UP), and rural (R) school children. Skin test reactivity to common inhalant allergens in UR, UP, and R children with and without EIB was also investigated. METHODS: Two hundred children aged 9-16 years without a previous history of respiratory symptoms were randomly selected and underwent free running exercise testing. A normal response to exercise was defined as the group mean change in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) +/- 2 standard deviations. This value was used to identify the prevalence of EIB in UR, UP, and R schoolchildren. A total of 1095 children from three different schools underwent exercise testing (220 UP, 599 UR, 276 R), after which 916 children underwent skin prick testing to six common inhalant allergens (D farinae, D pteronyssinus, cat, dog, Aspergillus flavus and Candida albicans). RESULTS: From the results of exercise testing in asymptomatic children the normal range was defined as a fall in PEFR of < 12.5% after exercise. Thirty four children were classified as having EIB on the basis of the above definition, giving an overall prevalence of 3.1%. The prevalence of EIB was significantly higher in UR children (4.7%) than in both UP (2.2%; p < 0.05) and R children (1.4%; p < 0.01). However, the prevalence rates in the UP and R children were similar. The prevalence of atopy in the whole population was 4.4%. Of the children with EIB, 10% were skin test positive to at least one of the allergens tested. The prevalence of atopy was significantly higher in UR children (6.55%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.5% to 9.2%) than in UP (2.9%, 95% CI 0.9% to 6.7%) and R children (1.5%, 95% CI 0.4% to 3.7%), respectively (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of EIB and atopy is higher in urban rich than in urban poor or rural children suggesting that, in addition to genetic predisposition, social and environmental factors such as wealth, life style, and housing are important determinants of these phenotypes.

Adolescent↗

Education for differentiated role development for NP and CNS practice: one nursing program's approach.

Development of nurse care providers who best meet the public's health care needs is imperative. Some nurses believe the functions of nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists should be combined. However, the experience of the authors' nursing program argues otherwise. Two graduate nursing tracks, family nurse practitioner and rural health specialist, were developed to meet the health care needs of rural populations. Although the two tracks share expected competencies and areas of expertise to some extent, differences in practice are apparent in identified domains of practice and terminal competencies. Family nurse practitioner practice focuses on assessment, diagnosis, and management of health and illness conditions of individuals and families across the life span. Clinical nurse specialist practice incorporates traditional roles of client assessment, monitoring and coordination of care, outcome assessment, and client, family, and community education, with a new focus on case management strategies. These differences are important to care delivery in the managed care era.

Arizona↗

An evaluative study of a community health service development.

This paper describes a research study designed to evaluate a community health service development in one health authority in rural England. The study compared two types of primary care teams working towards the same objectives. Surveys of patients and staff in the health authority were conducted about a range of issues, defined by the original aims of the scheme. Measures were made of care received by people over 75 years of age, consumer satisfaction, staff experiences of the multi-disciplinary team, job satisfaction and liaison with social services personnel. Few differences existed between the two forms of care on all of these measures. This paper contains a discussion of the findings alongside an examination of the implications for future health service developments, particularly flagship enterprises such as nursing development units. The importance of well established baseline measurements is emphasized by both the research findings and the discussion.

Aged↗