South Shropshire Rural Campus - undergraduate medical education in rural South Shropshire

Internationally there has been an interest in under-graduate medical education in rural areas for several decades prompted by challenges in recruiting and retaining rural doctors. In the UK initiatives to provide rural exposure during under-graduate training are relatively new.

The aim of this study has been to explore the potential opportunities and barriers to developing a rural element to the new under-graduate medical curriculum at Keele.

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Natural Heritage - a pathway to health

The natural environment can play a key role in improving public health and wellbeing, says a major report from the Countryside Council for Wales.

Researchers from the Institute of Rural Wales (IRH) spent a year studying what impact the natural environment - everything from allotments, urban parks, woodland and lakes to the countryside, mountains, rivers and sea - has on health and wellbeing.

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Undergraduate medical education in rural settings

This report is premised on the increasing demand for undergraduate medical placements in rural areas, increasing student numbers and the evidence of the importance of rural exposure during undergraduate training on recruitment and retention of rural GPs. The survey took place over six months.

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Rural Health Intelligence Programme: Main Findings and Recommendations

This eighteen-month research study (completed in summer 2003) was undertaken by the Institute of Rural Health on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales to strengthen the evidence base for rural health issues to inform policy that may influence the health and well being of rural populations in Wales.

The aim of the research programme was threefold:

• To provide a baseline with respect to the health of people in rural Wales and identify key datasets for future monitoring
• To identify good practice in national and local health policy where rurality has been taken into consideration
• To identify benefits and limitations of initiatives specifically targeted at improving rural health.

This report is the fourth report in the series.

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Rural proofing the new GMS contract

This report, produced by the Institute of Rural Health and funded by the General Practitioners' Defence Fund, examines the new General Medical Services contract from the rural perspective, in order to ascertain the implications of the contract for rural GPs, rural primary care services and rural patients in the UK.

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Volunteering On Prescription

An evaluation report of a project to encourage the uptake of volunteering by people with mental health problems.                         

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Rural Health Intelligence Programme

This eighteen-month research study was undertaken by the Institute of Rural Health on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales to strengthen the evidence base for rural health issues to inform policy that may influence the health and well being of rural populations in Wales.

The aim of the research programme was threefold:

• To provide a baseline with respect to the health of people in rural Wales and identify key datasets for future monitoring.
• To identify good practice in national and local health policy where rurality has been taken into consideration.
• To identify benefits and limitations of initiatives specifically targeted at improving rural health.

Eight reports were produced by the Institute of Rural Health for the Welsh Assembly Government as part of the Rural Health Intelligence Programme:

• A review of the literature: measurement issues in rural health - English Version / Welsh Version
• A review of the literature: access and service models in rural health - English Version / Welsh Version
• A review of the literature: social inclusion and rural health - English Version / Welsh Version
• Rural Health Intelligence Programme: main findings and recommendations (awaiting publication by Welsh Assembly Government)
• The state of rural health and well-being in Wales (awaiting publication by Welsh Assembly Government)
• Rural health policy review (awaiting publication by Welsh Assembly Government)
• The use of health impact assessment in rural Wales - English Version / Welsh Version
• Contemporary rural health issues: intelligence from Wales and beyond - English Version / Welsh Version

For more information contact Research Manager: Dr Jenny Deaville jennyd@rural-health.ac.uk

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Rural Proofing for Health: A Toolkit for Primary Care Organisations

Helen Swindlehurst, March 2005

The Department of Health (DH) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) funded the development of ‘Rural Proofing for Health: A Toolkit for Primary Care Organisations’. The Toolkit assists service providers with rural proofing service delivery and aims to help those responsible for the design and delivery of health services to consider the rural dimension. The Toolkit aims to assist careful consideration of service design to ensure that rural communities are not disadvantaged in relation to their needs for health services.

An electronic version of the Toolkit is available for free download from www.ruralhealthgoodpractice.org.uk

For more information please contact Alice Earp, Institute of Rural Health, Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, Nr. Newtown, Powys SY16 3PW

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Think Rural Health Data

A guide for those interested in the analysis and use of data relevant to health issues in rural communities. Drawing on the key issues raised in Health Data - a Health Check, this booklet also includes a CDRom with the full Master table from that report.

Jenny Deaville, Kate Mitchinson, Louise Wilson

To obtain a copy please contact:

Delyth Davies, Institute of Rural Health, Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, Powys, SY16 3PW
delythd@rural-health.ac.uk

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Think Rural Health

Institute of Rural Health, The Countryside Agency, Rural Health Forum

Jenny Deaville, Kate Mitchinson, Louise Wilson

For more information please contact

Delyth Davies, Institute of Rural Health, Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, Powys, SY16 3PW
delythd@rural-health.ac.uk

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Health Data - a Health Check

A Technical Research Report funded by Defra, December 2004

Original research report compiled and written by: Dr Jenny Deaville, Alice Earp, Lesley Jones, Pat Davies, Jane Parry, Professor Gilbert MacKenzie & Nicola Gillon

Institute of Rural Health & Centre for Medical Statistics, Keele University

ISBN: 0-85521-139-3

Download a copy of this report (PDF)

If you wish to purchase a hard copy please contact Defra;

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
Telephone 020 7238 6000
Website: http://www.defra.gov.uk

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The impact of the foot and mouth outbreak on mental health and wellbeing in Wales

November 2003

Institute of Rural Health & University of Glamorgan

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A cultural and spatial analysis of adolescent substance misuse in rural Wales: final report.

January 2002

The final report of research funded by the Community Fund.

Author: Trish Buchan
IRH Report No: 11
Cost £7.50
ISBN: 1-903759-03-X

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Asthma Active

Design and evaluation of a computer aided learning program for children with asthma: Executive summary

March 2002

An executive summary of PhD research
Author: Louise Wilson
IRH Report No: 12
Cost: £5.00
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The nature of rural general practice in the UK - preliminary research

March 2001

A joint report from the Institute of Rural Health and the General Practitioners Committee of the BMA
Author:Jenny Deaville
IRH report No:9
Cost £20
ISBN 1-903759-01-3

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A Cultural And Spatial Analysis Of Adolescent Substance Misuse In Rural Wales: Lessons from the Literature

November 2000

A report of research funded by the National Lottery Charities Board.

Author: Trish Buchan
IRH report No:8
Cost: £7:50
ISBN 1 903759 00 5

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The causes and effects of stress in farming communities in East Anglia

January 2000

A report of research undertaken on behalf of the Countryside Agency, East of England Region.

Author: Pat Davies
IRH report No:7

Cost: £3:00

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Farm suicide in rural Wales - a review of the services in Powys and Ceredigion

September 1999

A report of research funded by the Welsh office.

Authors: Sandra Boulanger, Jenny Deaville, Jane Randall-Smith and John Wynn Jones
IRH report No:3
Cost: £5:00

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Farmers' Stress Survey - a questionnaire carried out at the Royal Welsh Show into stress factors experienced by farmers

May 1999

A report of research initiated by the Powys Rural Stress Group.

Authors: Sandra Boulanger, Alice Gilman, Jenny Deaville and Leslie Pollock
IRH report No:4
Cost: £3:00

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A report on preliminary work into unrecognised psychiatric morbidity in farmers and other occupational groups

March 1999

A literature review funded by CAPRICORN.

Authors: Jenny Deaville
IRH report No:5
Cost £3:00

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Asthma in Schools - A survey of school teachers knowledge of, and attitudes to, asthma in children

1999

A report of the results of a questionnaire sent out to all head teachers in Powys and associated with the childhood asthma project.

Author: Louise Wilson.
IRH report No:6
Cost: £3:00

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A Breath of Fresh Air- A literature Review of Trends in the Epidemiology, Treatment and Management of Childhood asthma

September 1998

A report of literature searched for a 15 month project on childhood asthma in association with Merck, Sharp & Dohme.

Author: Louise Wilson.
IRH report No:2
Cost: £2.50

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A study to obtain a definition of rurality and to investigate the problems encountered by practitioners who work in rural health settings

July 1998

Institute of Rural Health and School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Glamorgan

A report of research funded by the Wales Office of Research and Development for Health and Social Care.

Author: Jenny Deaville
IRH report No:1
Cost: £3:00

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