title: 'You never leave work when you live on a cattle property': Special problems for rural property owners who have to relocate for specialist treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper contributes to the literature on relocation for specialist care by providing findings on specific issues impacting on rural farmers and property owners who have to travel to the metropolitan area for specialist care for a haematological malignancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper uses descriptive qualitative research based on 45 interviews with patients with haematology in Queensland. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and thematically analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In addition to issues of distance, farmers and rural property owners who have to relocate for specialist care must deal with problems associated with the lack of opportunity to take absence from the property because of the inescapable pressure of daily farm and property responsibilities and the high cost of, or lack of opportunity to, outsource daily maintenance. Further concerns include the cost of relocation in the context of continuing drought, serious problems sustaining the travel and time away required, and the lack of choice for some but to deal with treatment alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In recent years there has been considerable progress with regard to overcoming the distance barrier for rural and remote patients with cancer through innovative clinical models using technology and telemedicine. However, there has been limited uptake of such models for patients with haematology. The present findings indicate that from the perspective of rural farmers and property owners there are important reasons why the use of innovative strategies should be fostered and expanded.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Community Science, Population and Social Health Program, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Logan Campus, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011793:Queensland; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014195:Travel / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: cancer; farmer; haematology; property owner; qualitative; relocation