Preface

People who live in remote, rural and isolated areas experience higher levels of trauma, and delays to treatment associated with location and geography. Remote health practitioners not only provide emergency care, but as part of a primary health care service also perform a wide range of clinical procedures on site. The Clinical Procedures Manual for remote and rural practice is designed to support this practice.

Remote Primary Health Care Manuals logo

The RPHCM logo, developed by Margie Lankin, tells this story:
The people out remote, where they use the manuals, are coming into their health service. They are being seen from one of the manuals … desert rose,
the colours of the petals. The people sitting around are people who use the manuals – men and women. People who are working for Aboriginal health… doctors and nurses and health workers. Messages are being sent out to the community from the clinic, from the people, to come into the clinic to be seen. Messages about better health outcomes. People are walking out with better plans, better health, better health outcomes.

About this manual

The fifth edition of the Clinical Procedures Manual for remote and rural practice (CPM) has been produced as part of the suite of Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCM), through a collaboration between CRANAplus, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association, and Flinders University. The other manuals in the suite are the CARPA Standard Treatment Manual (STM), the Minymaku Kutju Tjukurpa Women's Business Manual (WBM), and the Medicines Book for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners (Medicines Book).

The advanced practice skills needed to work in these areas can be developed and maintained through the Remote Health Practice Program at Flinders University Rural and Remote Health, and the Remote Emergency Care (REC) and Maternity Emergency Care (MEC) courses run by CRANAplus. Information on remote health training is available from the RPHCM website https://remotephcmanuals.com.au/.

Support for remote practitioners and their families is available through Bush Support Services, offered through CRANAplus. This includes the free, confidential 24 hour Bush Support Line — 1800 805 391.

Your input

Feedback is an essential component of keeping the manuals 'by the users for the users'. Please submit your suggestions and comments via the online feedback form at www.remotephcmanuals.com.au