MEDIA RELEASE

Monday 4 July 2005

More Satellite Sites Mean
Less Isolation for Rural Doctors

While outer-space might not normally be viewed as a central element of rural medical practice, satellites hovering high above Earth are helping to combat the professional isolation felt by many rural doctors and other rural health professionals by beaming them regular television-based medical education.

And more rural doctors are to benefit from these regular broadcasts, with the Rural Health Education Foundation (RHEF) announcing it has expanded its network of dedicated satellite receiving locations in rural Australia for medical education broadcasts by 42 sites in the past six months.

There are now 590 such sites across the country, with a further expansion to follow in coming months.

"Being a rural health professional often means working in isolated areas without some of the education supports you would expect to find close-at-hand in the city” RDAA President, Dr Sue Page, said.

“While rural health professionals need as much access to continuing medical education and information as their metropolitan colleagues, this is often not as simple as driving to the next suburb—it often means a long drive and a number of days spent in a major regional centre or the city.

“The medical education broadcasts provided by RHEF in rural and regional locations across Australia—coupled with the Internet streaming, video and DVD programming it also offers—have made it much easier for many rural doctors and other rural health professionals to access regular information and education within their town or local region.

“Consequently, they have been able to spend less time out of town and more time seeing patients.

“Through sending its medical education programming straight to rural and remote locations, RHEF is providing a valuable educational service to rural health professionals and therefore to rural communities.

“RDAA commends both RHEF on its work and the Federal Government on its continued support for this important initiative.”

According to RHEF, most of the 42 new satellite receiving sites are located in rural or remote areas where the population is less than 5000 people. RHEF also says it now has the capacity to reach more than 90 per cent of the GPs and other health professionals in rural and remote communities with its programming.

RDAA President, Dr Sue Page, is available for interview on tel: 0414 878 385 (after 3:30pm AEST).

Media contact: Patrick Daley on tel: (02) 6273 9303 bh or (0408) 004 890.