Developing a conceptual understanding of rural health practice.
OBJECTIVE
This study presents a set of concepts underpinning rural practice that could assist teaching health and medical students.


RESULTS
Five concepts, important in distinguishing rural health practice, are presented and discussed. These are rural-urban health differentials, access, confidentiality, cultural safety and team practice. Together these concepts impact the ways in which rural health professionals provide care, due to fewer services, greater distances, smaller populations, less choice of services and smaller workforce.


CONCLUSIONS
These concepts introduce students to some of the positive and negative aspects of rural practice, as well as opportunities for rural practitioners to have a diverse practice, to become involved in all aspects of health and to initiate change. They provide an understanding of rurality from which health students can learn from their practical experiences during rural placements.
Bourke
Lisa
L
School of Rural Health, University of Melbourne, Shepparton, Australia. bourke@unimelb.edu.au
Sheridan
Collette
C
Russell
Ursula
U
Jones
Graeme
G
DeWitt
Dawn
D
Liaw
Siaw-Teng
ST
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D003219:Confidentiality; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008511:Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010819:Physician's Role; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D012423:Rural Health; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013038:Specialization; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*