title: The patient transit assistance scheme: the clerk's perspective.
abstract: The Patient Transit Assistance Scheme (PTAS) is an important government program designed to ensure equity of access for residents in rural and remote Queensland to essential healthcare services. Where specialist services cannot be provided at recognised hospitals, PTAS ensures equity by accepting the responsibility for assisting with the transport and accommodation of patients and at times their escort, to locations where such services are available. This article presents research findings on the concerns of clerks involved in administering PTAS for patients with leukaemia and associated haematological disorders. The findings indicate that there are many problems with this scheme that need attention and can be remedied.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health Research, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. p.mcgrath@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011793:Queensland; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014187:Transportation of Patients / Q000458:organization & administration*