UniSA and RFDS deliver remote health benefits

by Katrina Phelps

The Royal Flying Doctors Service in action in remote Australia. Photo courtesy of the RFDS

Improving healthcare for people living in remote areas is the aim of a new partnership between UniSA and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).

As part of the collaboration a new Research Fellow position has been created at UniSA’s Sansom Institute for Health Research, which will focus on primary healthcare and service provision, health promotion and chronic disease management, especially in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Director of the Sansom Institute, Professor Kerin O’Dea, says the goal of the partnership is to help to turn around the current situation in remote Australia, where people have an unacceptably high rate of a range of preventable conditions.

“Improving primary healthcare and service provision are important because despite technological advances and the stellar work of organisations such as the RFDS, people living in remote Australia still don’t enjoy the same access to health services that their urban counterparts do,” Prof O’Dea said.

“If you’re living in a community or station in the outback, you probably have limited access to specialist services and you can’t stop by the local fruit and vegetable shop to buy healthy food at a reasonable price. So it is absolutely crucial to ensure that what health services are available, are of the highest possible standard and are tailored to meet the needs of remote Australians.

“It will be essential to work collaboratively with communities and their health service providers to improve systems of care and to develop early interventions to prevent or delay the onset of debilitating conditions which are impacting on people in what should be the most productive years of life.”

In South Australia alone the RFDS conducted more than 26,000 patient contacts last year, including:

• 13,134 consultations at rural and remote primary health clinics;
• 7067 tele-health consultations with those living in remote communities;
• 5819 patients transported for aeromedical evacuations; and
• 407 immunisations at rural and remote ‘fly-in’ health clinics.

General Manager of Health Services for RFDS Central Operations (SA/NT), Dr John Setchell, says the RFDS is committed to advancing the healthcare interests of rural and remote Australians.

We want to create innovative ideas and access the best minds working on the considerable challenges facing rural and remote health,” Dr Setchell said.

“We want to capture some of our best healthcare practice and share it with researchers and policy analysts.”

Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj, Chancellor Dr Ian Gould and General Manager of Health Services for RFDS Central Operations (SA/NT) Dr John Setchell at the agreement signing.

UniSA Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Høj said the RFDS is an iconic institution and he is delighted to form a partnership with them.

“The RFDS is regarded very highly in the community and enjoys the support of many influential Australians,” Prof Høj said.

“At the University of South Australia we want our research to make a difference. I am delighted that we have formed a partnership with the RFDS to improve health for all Australians, no matter how far away they may be from major centres.”

A key priority of the Sansom Institute is pursuing research that addresses the healthcare needs of Australia’s most disadvantaged citizens, including those living in rural and remote regions.

The Institute is involved in several initiatives that are helping to improve health in rural and remote areas, including an $8.19m program funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council to investigate ways to improve chronic disease outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Prof O’Dea said this project will help to inform research that is undertaken under the new RFDS initiative.