Rural palliative care: exploration of the pivotal role of primary healthcare providers

摘要

Primary healthcare providers are critical to the delivery of healthcare in Australia. For rural Australians these health professionals play a pivotal role in all aspects of health, from prevention, early diagnosis and treatment through to care at the end of life. The delivery of optimal palliative care for rural Australians is dependant upon a viable, well educated primary healthcare workforce. Recent initiatives by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Royal College of General Practitioners and state health departments have made significant inroads into supporting rural palliative care delivery. There is a need for these programs to be extended to other rural healthcare providers.