The Australian Government's recent decision to replace the Rural Remote and Metropolitan Area (RRMA) classification with the Australian Standard Geographical Classification - Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) system highlights the ongoing significance of geographical classifications for rural health policy, particularly in relation to improving the rural health workforce supply. None of the existing c...

CONTEXT Throughout its history, the main problem for Thailand's health system in has been an inadequate number of physicians and other healthcare workers in rural areas. Due to this, for decades in Thailand, rural service has been mandatory for healthcare workers. ISSUE Thailand's mandatory health service system commenced in 1889 and has been continuous until the present (2010). Under this sy...

Background & purpose: Since 2005, a reform known as Rural Insurance and Family Medicine Scheme has introduced to primary health care network in Iran in rural areas and small towns. The content of the reform implies a substantial change in those aspects of health centers that mainly could be categorized as structural quality. Although, this is the requirement of all health care providers, they a...

Unemployment and financial struggles affect big and small communities alike. The current economic climate, coupled with changes to the health care environment, presents a unique opportunity for health care providers and community leaders to collaborate, integrate and network. The benefits of health networks are and can be tremendous during times of economic hardships. It takes great effort to a...

Health care reform is likely to raise unique issues for rural communities and providers. This paper identifies and discusses several of these issues, with a particular focus on the potential relationship between health care reform and rural health networks. Topics addressed include the likely impact of health reform on the organization and development of rural health networks, the reimbursement...

VHA Office of Rural Health • Fact Sheet • Volume 3 Issue 4 IN THIS ISSUE:  Rural mental health care and redesigned primary care  Did You Know?  Mental Health Pathway Mental Health and Mental Health Care in Rural America: the Hope of Redesigned Primary Care “In the United States, most people with mental health issues or disorders remain untreated.” Rural populations have a greater portion ...

background and purpose: utilization of health care services and food influence the health status. the food and health care expenditure ratios determine the importance level of them in household's consumption expenditures. we aimed to investigate the iranian rural and urban food and health expenditure ratios inequality during 1998 to 2012. materials and methods: this is a descriptive longit...