Improving the rural patient journey

Every year in NSW about 600 rural residents suffer a serious trauma which requires lengthy hospitalisation in a location far from home.

The Rural Health Network is working to:

• improve access to information and resources for rural patients, their carers and families at the times they most need it
• improve early identification of rurality to enable rural sensitivities to be factored into care planning and transfer of care back home to the rural community
• develop a consistent approach to meeting the social, emotional and practical needs of rural patients, carers and families when hospitalisation is required in an unfamiliar city, far from home.

Improve access to information

Friendly Faces Helping Hands

The Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation, a registered, not-for-profit charity, has produced a website providing resources for rural patients and their carers and families.

Information includes a directory of:

• hospital services
• hospital contact information including support workers, such as Aboriginal liaison officers, social workers and chaplaincy services
• accommodation
• parking
• transport
• food
• shops.

Call the free hotline 1800 014 234

Two versions of the Friendly Faces Helping Hands flyer are available with a QR code to access the website.

Improve early identification of rurality

Patient and carer checklist

Published: August 2020. Next review: 2026.

A prompt sheet for patients and their carers and families to use on admission. It helps them understand:

• who to speak to
• what questions to ask
• how to navigate the health system
• how to navigate public transport
• where to source accommodation
• where to go for help.

Download the checklist (PDF 198.3 KB)

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Aboriginal patient and carer checklist

Published: August 2020. Next review: 2026.

Tips and prompts to empower rural Aboriginal families to ask questions, share information and be involved in shared decision making during their hospital journey.

Download the checklist (PDF 1.7 MB)

Background

Acute healthcare emergencies are distressing for all patients and their families, regardless of where they occur, but they pose additional challenges to people who live in rural regional and remote NSW.

In a series of consultations and interviews, patients, carers and families highlighted the hardship and disadvantage experienced when suddenly displaced from home and support networks. These include emotional and social isolation, cultural shock and out of pocket costs associated with travel, accommodation and daily living for rural people; especially at a time of high anxiety and vulnerability.

Aboriginal patients and rural families who arrive at a tertiary referral hospital, a long way from kin and country and often for protracted periods of time, are particularly affected.

The resources for Aboriginal people were co-designed using the 8 Aboriginal Ways of Learning pedagogy framework and the Finding your way shared decision-making model with the Rural Health Network team, Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation and Aboriginal community members. They were created by Aboriginal artist Belinda Coe from Galarai Creative.