Our research

We undertake strategic research into the key themes of rural health workforce, clinical education, health services, mental health and aboriginal health.

We partner with other universities, governments and communities to address local, national and international rural health challenges.

Through our highly successful academic programs, rural students also contribute to our research outcomes through community engagement activities and projects.

Our research themes

Rural health workforce

How policies have affected the geographic health workforce distribution since 1986.
Rural clinical education and the impact on retention in rural practice.
Preparation of Speech-Language Pathology students for remote area practice.

Clinical education

Establishing new medical schools in low-resourced settings.
Interprofessional learning and the impact on developing professional identity and role-clarity.
Thai community stakeholder views of Community Based Medical Education.

Health services

Early dynamic ultrasound for neonatal hip instability to optimise conservative management.
Motivational interviewing in rural health practice.
Clinical educators enhancing rural and remote health services and their sustainability.

Mental health

Longitudinal study of rural mental health services.
Rural community mental health model of care.
Alcohol consumption of Australian wine producing communities.
School-based mental health service models.

Aboriginal health

Success stories of Aboriginal female doctors.
Cost effectiveness of point-of-care testing in reducing unnecessary remote medical retrievals for acute clinical presentations.

Harmony in the Bush demetia study

This national dementia research project that seeks to identify key drivers of a personalised care, and use co-design principles to implement and evaluate a personalised model of care incorporating music/art and movement interventions for residents with dementia in five rural aged care homes in South Australia and Far North Queensland.

The project is funded by a two-year $1.5 million 'innovation in dementia care' grant from the Australian government.

Learn more

Meet our people

Chief Investigator

Dr Vivian Isaac

Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd Rural Research Award

Recognising high quality rural research

The Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd Rural Research Award is awarded to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) student who has been a member of the MD Rural Stream (MDRS) program and who has contributed superior work towards their rural research project. Applicants are judged by a panel of three Flinders University Rural Health SA rural academic researchers and the prize is awarded to the student whose contribuiton to their rural research project is judged to be the best.

The prize is a two year subscription to the electronic product eTG Complete, an application recognised as a leading source of accurate, independent and practical treatment advice for a wide range of clinical conditions, and an extremely valuable asset for any medical professional.

Nominations open every June. For more information, please see the Rules for Flinders Prizes page, or contact Kathryn Sylvia at Flinders Rural Health SA.

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Contact us

Flinders University Rural and Remote Health SA has a large presence in our State's regional areas, including Barossa Valley, Hills Mallee Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula, Riverland, South East and Far North and Eyre Peninsula.

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