Scoping Review Released Ahead of Round Table Workshop
Significant progress has been made by the RRIPM Project Team over the last two months. On January 18th, 2024, the Consultation Draft of a Scoping Review titled Beyond the ‘Burbs: Specialist Palliative Medicine Training in Rural Australia was released. The document can be accessed on the RRIPM Updates page of the ANZSPM website. Read it here. Links to it have also been posted on the ANZSPM LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) pages and emailed to the ANZSPM membership.
The RRIPM project was conceived as a response to the struggles of rural palliative medicine specialists who have identified the shared challenges faced in building much–needed and much-wanted services in locations far from city-based hospitals.
The findings presented in the Scoping Review offer a sobering reflection on the current state of rural palliative medicine in Australia. The findings advocate for the establishment of a dedicated Rural and Remote Institute of Palliative Medicine to streamline and coordinate rural palliative medicine training and drive much needed change across the national landscape. The document will be a catalyst for meaningful discussions and collaborative efforts to address the crisis of sustainability confronting rural clinicians.
The establishment of RRIPM as a coordinating body is widely supported in the palliative medicine sector. Through shared advocacy and networking, RRIPM aims to contribute to a more sustainable future for rural palliative care.
A final, post-consultation version of the Scoping Review will be available in coming weeks.
On the 28th of February, a diverse group of stakeholders from across the rural health and palliative care sectors gathered in Canberra. The hybrid workshop included consumers and community advocates, clinicians and managers, College and peak body leaders as well as state and federal government representatives.
Activities on the day covered everything from hearing about the challenging reality for people dying in outback Australia, to vision-building for a better system and diving deep into the “how.”
Small group discussions tackled big topics like leadership, education, building capacity, relationships, and workforce planning. Recommendations and next steps toward the RRIPM Roadmap 2025-2030 were also mapped out
