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The purpose of the Active By Community Design (ABCD) project was to engage residents in the redesign of two public open spaces to increase park visits and park-based physical activity (PBPA). It was anticipated that by adding local preferences to park design considerations along with collected data and available evidence, the study would achieve increased levels of community engagement and subsequent increases in park visits and PBPA. This study summarizes two case studies outlining the community engagement and research translation process. Utilizing a pre–post evaluation design, baseline measures were completed with a series of validated tools for park use and park quality. Baseline data, evidence, community and stakeholder input were synthesized and presented to a "design subcommittee" to translate into "real-world" park redesigns. Park audits, a household survey, and park open days identified the spaces were not designed for the activities residents wanted, while park observations identified usage was low, and those observed were mostly children and adults walking. Park redesigns focused on maximizing access, infrastructure to enable physical activity (PA), PA programs and enhancements to improve aesthetics and safety concerns. The ABCD project successfully demonstrated a process of combining data and community and stakeholder engagement input to translate evidence into the creation of more supportive environments for PA. Stakeholder and resident input to the redesign processes contributed to satisfaction and ownership that residents reported on the redesigned parks, which may increase the likelihood of increased park usage and park-based physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Access to services and workforce shortages are major challenges in rural areas worldwide. In order to improve access to mental health care, it is imperative to understand what services are available, what their capacity is and where existing funds might be spent to increase availability and accessibility. The aim of this study is to investigate mental health service provision in a selection of rural and remote areas across Australia by analysing service availability, placement capacity and diversity. Method: This research studies the health regions of Western New South Wales and Country Western Australia and their nine health areas. Service provision was analysed using the DESDE-LTC system for long-term care service description and classification that allows international comparison. Rates per 100,000 inhabitants were calculated to compare the care availability and placement capacity for children and adolescents, adults and older adults. Results: The lowest diversity was found in northern Western Australia. Overall, Western New South Wales had a higher availability of non-acute outpatient services for adults, but hardly any acute outpatient services. In Country Western Australia, substantially fewer non-acute outpatient services were found, while acute services were much more common. Acute inpatient care services were more common in Western New South Wales, while sub-acute inpatient services and non-acute day care services were only found in Western New South Wales. Conclusion: The number and span of services in the two regions showed discrepancies both within and between regions, raising issues on the equity of access to mental health care in Australia. The standard description of the local pattern of rural mental health care and its comparison across jurisdictions is critical for evidence-informed policy planning and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Research suggests that flexible models of care which include across-discipline support and practices can overcome the limitations caused by scattered populations and fewer health practitioners in rural and remote areas across Australia. Innovative models of care bring together the clinician and the individual to plan and manage chronic disease to prevent hospital admissions, promote medication compliance and improve service provision. However, models of care cannot stand alone as effective tools for the management and minimisation of chronic diseases in any given area. A sound knowledge of what services are currently available within any given catchment is necessary in planning, commissioning and coordinating chronic care. Pinpointing the core activities of specific services on the ground can assist with integrating service provision. Practice Change: A recent pilot project has been completed to compile an Integrated Atlas of Chronic Care for Dubbo and Coonamble, providing the first detailed service provision description for a specific geographic region within Australia. Based on the international DESDE-LTC classification system, this document goes beyond simply listing services in a directory, toward being able to understand the functional service delivery teams working in a region, where there may be gaps in service provision and where the greatest need for care may be. Highlights: Furthermore, the consistent classification system employed by the atlas methodology allows for later comparison of service provision with other regions. The utility of a validated, comparable and transferable classification system enables policy makers, service planners and commissioning bodies to make informed decisions related to service provision based on the current service provision patterns. Conclusion: In order to ensure rural and remote communities are more likely to have their health needs met, there needs to be a comprehensive understanding of not only what communities need but also what services are currently available that could cooperate to meet the needs in appropriate ways. Locally relevant information on services therefore has a key role in improving rural and remote health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Variation exists in the patterns of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use and related impacts across geographic locations and over time. Understanding the existing AOD service system and the local context that it operates within is fundamental to optimize service provision. This article describes and compares the availability, placement capacity, and diversity of AOD services in urban and rural regions in Australia.Method: The Description and Evaluation of Services and DirectoriEs (DESDE) tool was used to categorize the service delivery system for AOD care in selected urban and rural regions in Australia.Results: This study found that although AOD services (303 main types of care) were available across all study regions, there was consistently very limited availability of services targeting young people (n = 39, 13%) or older adults (n = 1, <1%). There were also very limited services addressing comorbidities. Availability and diversity of services varied across study areas. Outpatient and residential care were the most available services, whereas day care services were absent in most areas.Conclusions: By describing the capacity of identified available services within the study regions, this study provides baseline information to inform changes to policy and practice and a foundation for monitoring and modeling service changes over time. This information provides evidence useful for optimal planning. However, it should be combined with local knowledge and stakeholder expertise to ensure that local area service needs are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]