The School of Rural Health Journal Club is running again this year. The club is a great opportunity to catch up with your peers, sharpen your critical review skills, and share your experiences/work/research.It is of particular interest to students, and teaching and academic staff. But we welcome everyone who is interested, particularly if you are not currently based in the School of Rural Health.

2013 dates

The dates for this year’s journal club meetings are:

Wednesdays, 12 noon – 1 pm

13 March
10 April
8 May
12 June
10 July
14 August
11 September
9 October
13 November

You can join each journal club:

• in person in Bendigo in meeting room 3
• by videoconference  (IP 130.194.213.113) or
• by teleconference (9903 5988) .

Volunteer to run a session

Each session is run by a different facilitator. This brief summary outlines what journal club is about, what to consider when selecting a paper and provides a checklist for doing a critical review of the paper.

Before the journal club, each presenter is expected to:

• prepare a brief summary of the selected paper which highlights its interesting features and questions that the presenter would like participants to consider (this goes out 10-14 days before journal club)
• be able to describe and discuss the paper and review it in accordance with the critical review checklist
• facilitate discussion about how the research relates to our work in SRH.

If you’d like to run a session email Rachel Tham.

We look forward to school wide contributions to journal club to enrich our professional pursuits and get to know each others’ work.

An update on the ASPREE Study will be held in Bendigo on Thursday 6 December, conducted by ASPREE representative Sharyn Fitzgerald. The workshop is at Mercy St, Bendigo at 12 noon.

This is Australia’s largest ever clinical trial, with participants 70 years and older being recruited from large cities and regional areas such as Ballarat, Bendigo, Launceston, Shepparton, Latrobe Valley, Wodonga and Warrnambool. (more…)

Those who haven’t registered for the 2013 Research Retreat, to be held on 22 and 23 January, should contact Cathy Ward (03 5440 9082) soon as RSVPs close on 14 December this year.  See program and further detail.

The aim of the research retreat is to plan for the School of Rural Health’s research future using the information currently being gathered as part of a research stock-take.  Recommendations arising from the retreat will underpin future school research approaches, so your individual input, views and ideas are crucial to the success of this retreat.

As they say, “If we don’t choose a direction, we’ll end up where we’re going.”

The last Journal Club for the year is scheduled for Wednesday 12 December, with all education, clinical, research staff and students invited to take part. A confirmation email will be forthcoming with final details.

There are a variety of methods by which people can participate in person or by tele/videoconference link.

It is in Meeting Room 3 (Level 2), School of Rural Health, 26 Mercy St Bendigo or by videoconference (IP 130.194.213.113) or teleconference (9903 5988) from other sites. Time is 12 noon to 1pm.

The Monash University Centre for Chronic Disease Management, coordinated through MUDRIH, has received a major international award.

Dr Hanan Khalil accepted the award, the Evidence Transfer International Award for Development of the Node, on behalf of the Centre of Chronic Disease Management at the Joanna Briggs Institute Colloquium in Thailand.

It was presented for 39 new evidence summaries contributed in November 2012, and was one of only four awards at the ceremony.

The Centre for Chronic Disease Management is a collaboration between Monash Gippsland’s School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Rural Health through MUDRIH, partnering with Latrobe Regional Hospital and Latrobe Community Health Service. As well as evidence summaries, the centre’s work included establishing the executive members committee, the expert reference group and the corresponding reference group.

Representatives from more than 70 international centres were present at the colloquium for presentation of the awards.

The Joanna Briggs Institute is based at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide and works with more than 70 entities across the world. The institute supports the synthesis, transfer and use of evidence through identifying feasible, appropriate, meaningful and effective healthcare practices to assist in improving global healthcare.

It maintains a free database of evidence-based resources, JBI COnNECT+, to help practitioners with clinical decision-making.

Monash doctorate student and rural general practitioner Dr Jenny May has earned a marvellous accolade by being awarded the Royal Australian General Practitioners (RACGP) Brian Williams Award 2012.

The award is presented by the RACGP National Rural Faculty to a member of the College who has made a significant contribution to the personal and professional welfare of rural doctors. (more…)

The Office of Research has said goodbye to Dr Jayantha Dassanayake who has been a valued member of staff over the past twelve months. We wish him well in his new endeavours. Sari Young has commenced in a part-time position with the Research team for project work. Welcome back Sari.

Have you published a research article or presented your research at a conference during 2012?

It is important for yourself and the School that all research publications are recorded into the University databases.  To help the Office of Research manage workload in the lead-up to the publications collections deadlines in February, please submit your publications (books, book chapters, journal articles, conference presentations) for processing as soon as possible after publication. When submitting a publication please ensure you provide all relevant information to expedite the process.

Publication information folders have been provided to research staff and they contain guidelines to facilitate the process for each academic prior to submitting their publications to the Office of Research.  If you need a copy of the folder, please contact Sandra Paschkow (5440 9084) in the North-West or Janelle McGrail (5128 1016) in the South-East.

Please ensure that all requested information on the Publication Form (eg. A1 Books, C1, C4 Journal article, FOR codes) is sent with a copy of the article to the Janelle McGrail in the South-East or Sandra Paschkow in the North-West.  Any questions regarding publications can be directed towards Janelle, Sandra or Cathy Ward.

To all education, clinical, research staff and students:

Please join us, on the second Wednesday of each month, either in Bendigo, Gippsland, and Mildura in person or by tele/videoconference link.

Topic for Next Journal Club:  Social engagement and older adults (more…)

“If we don’t choose a direction, we’ll end up where we’re going”.

The aim of the research retreat is to plan for the School of Rural Health’s research future using the information currently being gathered as part of a research stock-take.  Any staff involved in research within the School of Rural Health are encouraged to attend.  Recommendations arising from the retreat will underpin future school research approaches so your individual input, views and ideas are crucial to the success of this retreat.  See the flyer for details, including the program.  Please contact Leigh Kinsman (5440 9022) or Cathy Ward (5440 9082) if you have any questions.