'Distance is no obstacle' is a podcast series aimed at providing clinical education and information to rural health professionals
Current podcasts cover topics including - sleep, diabetes education in rural WA, mental health conditions among youth, palliative care in the rural setting, drug and alcohol misuse and mental health conditions, assessment and management of patients with dementia and delirium, and screening and treating sexually transmitted infections.
Sort by:
Anxious Adolescents
Dr Vineet Padmanabhan, Director Psychiatry - Child and Adolescent Health for WACHS
Breast Screening and Beyond
Dr Diana Hastrich, Breast Specialist and Surgeon
Prostate screening and general urology issues
Dr Tom Shannon from the Prostate Clinic
Emergency Medical Services in Remote Locations
Dr Andrew Jamieson Executive Director of Medical Services at WACHS
Drug and alcohol misuse and mental health conditions
Paul Dessauer, Outreach Coordinator from Peer-Based Harm Reduction WA
Diabetes education in rural WA
Gill Denny and Alison Ilijovski, Diabetes WA
Travel medicine and vaccines - advice and resources for clinicians
Dr Andrew Jamieson, WA Country Health Service Clinical Lead
Drug reactions under anaesthesia
Drs Paul Sadleir, Peter Platt and Russell Clarke, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Anaesthetics
Sleep apnea - signs and symptoms, clinical implications and treatment options
Martin McPhilimey, Senior Respiratory Scientist
Hepatitis C: A new era for treatment and cure
Dr Marissa Gilles, Director Public Health Medicine, WA Country Health Service
Changes to cervical screening programs
Dr Louise Farrell, Head of Colposcopy at King Edward Memorial Hospital
Palliative care in the rural setting
Dr Alison White, Palliative Care Consultant and Grace Buchanan, Cancer Council WA
Screening and treating sexually transmitted infections
Dr Lewis Marshall, Public Health Physician and Head of Sexual Health Services
Motivational interviewing
Stavroula Zandes, founder of Health and Wellbeing Training Consultants
Mental health conditions among youth
Ivan Salmin, Senior Clinical Psychologist with Child and Adolescent Health Service
The importance of sleep on health and well-being
Martin McPhilimey, Senior Respiratory Scientist
Climate change and its impact on our EDs
Dr Mark Monaghan, emergency physician
Giants of Geriatrics- intellectual impairment, instability, immobility and incontinence
Dr Peter Goldswain, WA Country Health Service Lead Geriatrician
Assessing and managing patients with dementia and delirium
Dr Peter Goldswain, WA Country Health Service Lead Geriatrician
Dr Vineet Padmanabhan, Director Psychiatry - Child and Adolescent Health for WACHS
This podcast features Dr Vineet Padmanabhan, Director Psychiatry - Child and Adolescent Health for the WA Country Health Service.
Dr Padmanabhan discusses anxiety disorders, assessment, and overlap with other diagnoses. He highlights the using a strengths-based approach in developing treatment plans and the psycho-education of patients and their parents or carers.
Links and references mentioned in this podcast:
- The Whole-Brain Child (book): www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-whole-…n-9781921844775
- Living with It: A Survivor's Guide To Overcoming Panic and Anxiety (book): www.harpercollins.com.au/978174309750…ing-with-it/
- Smiling Mind (online resource): www.smilingmind.com.au/
- Moodgym (online resource): www.moodgym.com.au/
- Headspace (app): www.headspace.com
- Other books: www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/books-…93dbd8193cd8
Interviewer: Dr Olga Ward
This podcast has been delivered as part Better Medical Care Initiative, a partnership between Rural Health West and WA Country Health Service.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Diana Hastrich, Breast Specialist and Surgeon
Breast Screening and Beyond
This podcast features Dr Diana Hastrich, breast specialist and surgeon. Dr Hastrich discusses breast screening, breast examinations, treatment options and patient outcomes.
She outlines risk factors for breast cancer, the significance of breast density, and the effectiveness of using ultrasound and MRI as screening and diagnostic tools.
Dr Hastrich also talks about Western Australia's trailblazing role in developing intraoperative radiotherapy as a treatment option for patients with breast cancer.
Links and references mentioned in this podcast:
- Diana Hastrich
- BreastScreen WA
- Genetic Services of Western Australia
- Women’s Centre, Genetic Counselling
- MRI/PET Breast Referral Example
Interviewer: Dr Olga Ward
This podcast has been delivered as part Better Medical Care Initiative, a partnership between Rural Health West and WA Country Health Service.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Tom Shannon from the Prostate Clinic
Dr Olga Ward talks to urological surgeon Dr Tom Shannon from the Prostate Clinic about prostate cancer screening and treatment and general urology issues that come up in general practice.
In Part 1, Dr Shannon discusses clinical practice consensus guidelines for PSA testing, treatment options and determining whether to aim for cure or control, and the importance of preserving sexual functioning. He also discusses the transformative impact of using a holistic approach when working in men's health.
In Part 2 , Dr Shannon discusses:
- the mnemonic 'WI IS FUN' as a tool for determining patients with voiding issues (Weak stream, Intermittency, Incomplete emptying, Straining, Frequency, Urgency, Nocturia)
- the International Prostate Symptom Scorer, a screening tool GPs can use with patients to determine who may need intervention to avoid damage to their bladder
- urological cancers such as renal cell carcinoma, testicular cancer
- vasectomy, counselling patients considering surgery, procedure reversal and sperm donation
- kidney stones and other conditions.
Relevant links:
- theprostateclinic.com.au/
- Voiding symptom score chart: theprostateclinic.com.au/wp-content/u…UN19-TPC.pdf
- Erectile function score sheet: theprostateclinic.com.au/wp-content/u…on-Sheet.pdf
- theprostateclinic.com.au/
- www.prostate.org.au/awareness/for-h…on-psa-testing/
The podcast forms part of the clinical education series, delivered by Rural Health West in partnership with WA Country Health Service through the Better Medical Care Initiative.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Andrew Jamieson Executive Director of Medical Services at WACHS
This podcast features Dr Andrew Jamieson, Executive Director of Medical Services at WACHS discussing the challenges of providing emergency medical services in remote locations.
He talks about systems, credentialing and clinical governance, the collection of data, auditing, corporate governance and clinical issues.
Andrew also discusses managing of patients through Emergency Telehealth Services (ETS), Mental Health ETS and outpatient services.
This podcast has been delivered as part Better Medical Care Initiative, a partnership between Rural Health West and WA Country Health Service.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Paul Dessauer, Outreach Coordinator from Peer-Based Harm Reduction WA
Drug and alcohol misuse and mental health conditions
Paul Dessauer, Outreach Coordinator from Peer-Based Harm Reduction WA talks to us about the association between drug and alcohol misuse and mental health conditions, particularly anxiety and depression.
Paul shares information on how particular drug and alcohol use may impact on existing mental health conditions.
Peer-Based Harm Reduction WA provides non-judgmental, friendly, peer-based support, information and education, advocacy and harm reduction services, and services aimed at reducing the transmission of BBVs and STIs associated with drug use among the community in WA.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Gill Denny and Alison Ilijovski, Diabetes WA
Diabetes education in rural WA
Gill Denny, Teleservices Manager and Alison Ilijovski, Credentialed Diabetes Educator from Diabetes WA chat to us about how rural medical practitioners and patients can access diabetes education from their own homes through the Diabetes Telehealth Service. Diabetes WA aims to support people living with or affected by diabetes and suffering from related chronic conditions.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Andrew Jamieson, WA Country Health Service Clinical Lead
Travel medicine - advice and resources for clinicians
WA Country Health Service Clinical Lead, Dr Andrew Jamieson discusses the principles of travel medicine.
Dr Jamieson discusses the need for doctors providing travel medicine to have a good understanding of geography, occupational health, the geopolitical work and tropical medicine. He also discusses the importance of understanding the context in which people are travelling and providing risk-based advice.
Travel Vaccines - advice for clinicians
WA Country Health Service Clinical Lead, Dr Andrew Jamieson discusses vaccinations for travellers.
Dr Jamieson discusses running vaccine clinics, the most important vaccines to have to hand, and the administration of multiple vaccines and live vaccines.
He discusses the risks of diseases such as measles, polio, rabies and malaria and the need to carry proof of immunisation when travelling to certain countries.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Drs Paul Sadleir, Peter Platt and Russell Clarke, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Anaesthetics
Drug reactions under anaesthesia
Anaesthetists Dr Paul Sadleir, Dr Peter Platt and Dr Russell Clarke from the WA Anaesthetic Drug Reaction Clinic at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital discuss the cause, prevention and management of reactions to anaesthesia drugs.
While rare, drug reactions can and do occur. The WA Anaesthetic Drug Reaction Clinic at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is responsible for investigating cases of suspected perioperative anaphylaxis and provide advice and guidance on how these patients might be managed in future surgeries.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Martin McPhilimey, Senior Respiratory Scientist
Sleep apnea - signs and symptoms, clinical implications and treatment options
Senior Respiratory Scientist from Cardio Respiratory Sleep, Martin McPhilimey discusses sleep apnea, signs and symptoms a patient may have sleep apnea and the clinical implications for patients. He also discusses a range of treatment options for patients with sleep apnea.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Marissa Gilles, Director Public Health Medicine, WA Country Health Service
Hepatitis C: A new era for treatment and cure
The past twenty years has seen huge breakthroughs in the treatment of patients with Hepatitis C. Once thought incurable, drug treatments now have high efficacy and few side effects.
In this podcast, Dr Marissa Gilles, Director Public Health Medicine with WA Country Health Services and Dr Olga Ward discuss managing patients with Hepatitis C. Dr Gilles and Dr Ward discuss screening, testing, diagnosis, treatment options and decision-making, managing complex and non-compliant patients, and Telehealth support for rural and remote patients.
Dr Gilles mentions a number of resources available to help clinicians treating patients with Hepatitis C.
- Clinical guidance for treating Hepatitis C tinyurl.com/yyac7sqy
- GP Management plan for HCV infection tinyurl.com/y3frjbmk-
- WA Department of Health Guideline tinyurl.com/yyp79ssj
- Gastroenterological Society of Australia statement tinyurl.com/yxweupa6
- Hepatitis drug interaction checker tinyurl.com/yyge9eal
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Louise Farrell, Head of Colposcopy at King Edward Memorial Hospital
This podcast features Dr Louise Farrell, Head of Colposcopy at King Edward Memorial Hospital discussing changes to cervical screening programs and the impact this has had on the detection and treatment of cervical cancer.
Dr Farrell discusses the rationale for the change from pap smears to cervical screening, including how the test is administered, self-collection and regularity of testing.
Interviewer: Dr Olga Ward
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Alison White, Palliative Care Consultant and Grace Buchanan, Cancer Council WA
Palliative care in the rural setting
Dr Alison White, Palliative Care Consultant at Royal Perth Hospital and visiting palliative care physician for the Kimberley region, and Grace Buchanan from Cancer Council WA talk about the challenges and importance of delivering quality end-of-life care in rural settings.
Dr White and Grace discuss decision-making about ongoing treatment, how to discuss quality care over cure with patients and families, and the consideration of medications and their availability in rural settings.
The palliative care service at Royal Perth Hospital provides a range of services such as inpatient care, outpatient clinics, education and research, and a bereavement service.
Cancer Council WA provides comprehensive information and education for health professionals to improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Lewis Marshall, Public Health Physician and Head of Sexual Health Services
With a 400% increase in Syphilis cases and 80% increase in Gonorrhea cases between 2014 and 2018, an increasing number of clinicians may be treating patients with STIs.
Dr Olga Ward talks to Dr Lewis Marshall, Public Health Physician and Head of Sexual Health Service for Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospitals about screening and treating patients with STIs.
Dr Marshall discusses the best ways to talk to patients about their risk profile, appropriate testing and treatment, and the support available from the Sexual Health Service for rural clinicians and patients.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Stavroula Zandes, founder of Health and Wellbeing Training Consultants
Motivational interviewing
In this podcast, Stavroula Zandes, founder of Health and Wellbeing Training Consultants, talks about the role of motivational interviewing in encouraging patients to make positive changes to their lifestyle.
Stav discusses the importance of showing empathy, exploring ambivalence, listening reflectively and helping clients to reframe their perspective. She also provides advice on how to broach difficult conversations with clients.
With a background in psychology and counselling, Stav is committed to engaging, motivating and encouraging clients to find the inspiration they need to make positive behaviour changes that will improve and enrich their lives.
Stav mentions the following resources in this podcast:
- Introduction to Motivational Interviewing for the Clinical Setting tinyurl.com/y6238dg5
- Effective Communication in the Clinic tinyurl.com/y4rc9jb3
- 5 Tips for Difficult Conversations in the Clinic tinyurl.com/y4dp42en
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Ivan Salmin, Senior Clinical Psychologist with Child and Adolescent Health Service
Senior Clinical Psychologist with Child and Adolescent Health Service, Ivan Salmin discusses self-harm and suicide among adolescents.
Suicide is the second most common cause of death in young people worldwide. Prevention of suicide is therefore an important focus for health professionals and the community at large.
Mental health conditions among youth - Part 1
Mental health conditions among youth - Part 2
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Martin McPhilimey, Senior Respiratory Scientist
The importance of sleep on health and well-being
Senior Respiratory Scientist from Cardio Respiratory Sleep, Martin McPhilimey discusses the importance of sleep and the clinical impacts of poor sleep. Mr McPhilimey outlines the how to support patients to develop good sleeping habits and the process for referring patients for sleep studies.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Mark Monaghan, emergency physician
Climate change and its impact on our EDs
Emergency physician Dr Mark Monaghan talks about climate change and the impact it is having on our emergency departments.
Extreme heat events, cyclones, floods, bushfires and thunderstorms are increasing in frequency and intensity, with each of these natural events placing pressure on hospitals.
Dr Monaghan talks about the potential threat of vector-borne illnesses in the Top End of Australia, Irukandji jellyfish moving south along our coastlines as the oceans warm, and new phenomenons such as the Thunderstorm Asthma event which saw 8,500 people present to hospitals with breathing difficulties in one day in Melbourne.
Dr Monaghan also shares what communities and health professionals can do in response to these increasing and emerging natural events.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Peter Goldswain, WA Country Health Service Lead Geriatrician
Giants of Geriatrics - intellectual impairment, instability, immobility and incontinence
WA Country Health Service Lead Geriatrician, Dr Peter Goldswain speaks to Rural Health West Medical Advisor, Dr Olga Ward about the so-called Giants of Geriatrics - intellectual impairment, instability, immobility and incontinence.
Dr Goldswain and Dr Ward discuss assessing fitness to drive in older and cognitively impaired patients, falls prevention, medications and when to consider deprescribing, navigating community care and aged care packages.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Dr Peter Goldswain, WA Country Health Service Lead Geriatrician
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We would like to know how rural health professionals have made a difference to your community, or if you would like to let us know what you think of these stories, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
