PUB HLTH 2008 - Rural Australia: Health beyond the burbs

How does living and working in rural or remote Australia influence people's health and how can a public health approach address their health needs? This course will explore these questions through three modules, each with a different focus and include contributions from topic experts. The first module will examine the health needs of rural and remote populations, their access to health care services, and current models of service delivery, including workforce challenges. The role of community empowerment, targeted health strategies, and policy development to support rural health will also be examined. The second module will focus on Indigenous health perspectives in rural and remote settings with particular emphasis on the impacts of historical contexts, social determinants of Indigenous health and subsequent need for safe, effective models for health service delivery. The third module will use case study examples to examine public health issues, and community and policy responses in a range of rural industries. A day-long field trip to Port Pirie will support the learning objectives of all three modules. At the end of this course students will have explored specific health issues affecting rural and remote Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, hearing from practitioners and clinicians working in this field. They will also have the tools to identify clinical and public health issues in a range of rural industries. Students will be able to describe and critique models of health service delivery, health policies, and health strategies targeting health improvements for people living in rural Australia.