More is more in remote Central Australia: more provision of primary healthcare services is associated with more acute medical evacuations and more remote telephone consultations
Open accessAbstract
INTRODUCTION: This study investigated whether increased numbers of primary healthcare clinical consultations in Indigenous communities in some remote areas of Australia are associated with the reduced need for urgent medical evacuations and remote telephone consultations. METHODS: A retrospective comparison study of routinely collected data utilising correlation analysis was conducted. Statistical associations have been measured using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. The setting was 20 primary healthcare centres in the Northern Territory servicing ≥5900 residents between July 2008 and June 2010; data were collected from Central Australia Remote Health and the Royal Flying Doctor Service-Central Operations, Alice Springs base. Main outcome measures included number of acute medical evacuations and number of remote telephone consultations relative to number of face-to-face consultations with Aboriginal health workers, remote area nurses and general practitioners. RESULTS: Statistically significant positive correlations were found between numbers of acute medical evacuations and numbers of face-to-face consultations (r = 0.659; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.305-0.855), remote area nurse consultations (r = 0.481; 95% CI: 0.055-0.765) and general practitioner consultations (r = 0.798; 95% CI: 0.555-0.920). Significant positive correlations were also found between numbers of remote telephone consultations and numbers of face-to-face consultations (r = 0.546; 95% CI: 0.135-0.795) and general practitioner consultations (r = 0.563; 95% CI: 0.163-0.805). CONCLUSIONS: The provision of more frequent healthcare centre face-to-face consultations, including general practitioner consultations, is associated with an increased burden of acute medical evacuations and remote telephone consultation services in this remote setting.
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In that Central Australian study, the highest conditions for evacuations were respiratory disease and injuring/poisoning (20.5% and 19.2%, respectively).
“The highest conditions for evacuations were respiratory disease and injuring/poisoning (20.5% and 19.2%, respectively).”
From The Empirical Foundations of Telemedicine Interventions in Primary Care (2016) · cites this paper as [111]
In a Central Australian record review, contrary to expectation, the provision of face-to-face GP consultations in remote areas was positively correlated with acute medical evacuations and with remote telephone consultations.
“Contrary to expectation, the provision of face-toface GP consultations in the remote areas was positively correlated with acute medical evacuations and with remote telephone consultations.”
From The Empirical Foundations of Telemedicine Interventions in Primary Care (2016) · cites this paper as [111]
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The Empirical Foundations of Telemedicine Interventions in Primary Care
Bashshur, R. L., Howell, J. D., Krupinski, E. A., Harms, K. M., Bashshur, N., & Doarn, C. R. (2016) · Telemedicine and e-Health · doi:10.1089/tmj.2016.0045 · Cited by 370 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hussain, J. (., Robinson, A., Stebbing, M., & McGrail, M.
- Affiliations
- Monash University (AU)
- ORCID
- McGrail, Matthew
- Venue
- Rural and Remote Health
- Publisher
- Rural and Remote Health
- Published
- 2014-11-12
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 2796-2796
- ISSN
- 1445-6354 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2413450840
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 0.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Rural and Remote Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Primary Care and Health Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Health › Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
- Keywords
- primary care services, Indigenous health, Aboriginal health workers, general practitioners, face-to-face consultation, health care utilization, Central Australia, Northern Territory
- MeSH terms
- Australia, Humans, Primary Health Care, Retrospective Studies, Air Ambulances, Rural Health Services, Remote Consultation, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
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