Research news

Best for the Bush Rural and Remote Health Baseline 2023

Primary care access vital for better health outcomes in remote Australia

27 Mar 2024

The second annual Royal Flying Doctor Service ‘Best for the Bush, Rural and remote Health Base Line’ report was released today.

More details
09 Aug 2023

Best for the Bush In-Focus Report Released

Today the Royal Flying Doctor Service is releasing our first Best for the Bush ‘In-Focus’ report, looking at heart, stroke, and vascular disease and the disproportional impacts on rural and remote Australia.

Best for the Bush In-Focus report released
19 Jul 2023

RFDS Pioneers Unique Covid-19 Vaccination Program to Serve Rural and Remote Australians

RFDS Pioneers Unique Covid-19 Vaccination Program to Serve Rural and Remote Australians

Covid Report 2023
08 Feb 2023

Access to primary care is the key to better health outcomes in remote Australia

A new Royal Flying Doctor Service research report series, entitled Best for the Bush, Rural and Remote Health Base Line 2022, was released today.

GP clinic with the RFDS
13 May 2022

Improving stroke care in regional and rural Australia

The RFDS Research and Policy Unit has just released a health education paper on the impact of stroke on people living in the bush.

Stroke Report
09 Oct 2021

Survey Highlights Importance of Understanding in Mental Health

A new research report by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) research team, in collaboration with the Australian Catholic University (ACU), found that a better understanding of mental health leads to better outcomes for individuals and the whole community.

Broken Hill Mental Health team
18 Jan 2021

New Study on RFDS Pregnancy Patients

New Study reveals one out of every 420 women who gave birth Australia-wide during 2015–2017 received an aeromedical retrieval by the RFDS

New Study Pregnancy
13 Jan 2021

Impact of COVID lockdown on aeromedical retrievals

New data released this week by Australian researchers reveals the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown period on aeromedical retrievals in rural and remote regions.

Loading a patient onto RFDS aircraft
17 Dec 2020

Equitable health access for all Australians

As part of a submission to the Federal Government's Inquiry into Regional Australia, the RFDS has just released a new research paper entitled 'Equitable Patient Access to Primary Healthcare in Australia'.

seeing the doctor
02 Jul 2020

Aeromedical Retrieval for Stroke in Australia

RFDS Research shows rural, remote, and Indigenous stroke patients have worse stroke outcomes than urban Australians. This may be due to lack of timely access to expert facilities.

01 Jul 2020

Mental Health Crises in Rural and Remote Australia

RFDS Research: Direct medical costs associated with air retrievals for people experiencing mental health crisis are substantial. Majority of costs are associated with hospital admission and treatment; however, the indirect (loss of productivity) and intangible (quality of life) costs are far greater

21 May 2020

RFDS Research: COVID-19 activity and surge modelling for rural and remote Australia

A newly published research paper reviews RFDS COVID-19 patient transport data since February 2020, and includes modelling for anticipated rural and remote hot spots, as part of surge preparation within the national health crisis.

05 May 2020

RFDS Research Unit provides a voice to Rural and Remote Australians

Did you know the RFDS has a Research Unit that is dedicated to improving health outcomes for people in rural and remote Australia by 'giving them a voice'?

30 Jan 2020

RFDS Research: Aeromedical retrieval for suspected appendicitis in paediatrics patients

A significant number of paediatric patients are aeromedically retrieved from rural and remote locations with a diagnosis of appendicitis or acute abdominal pain. Future research should consider whether training in abdominal point-of-care ultrasound reduces retrievals.

12 Dec 2019

Expanding Hearing Screening And Treatment In Remote Australia

A new collaboration between Hearing Australia and the Royal Flying Doctor Service will see innovative hearing screening tools adopted and rolled out across the country as part of RFDS primary health care clinics to remote areas.

04 Oct 2019

Rehab services vital to prevent bush cardiac deaths

A new RFDS research paper released today, details how cardiac rehabilitation services, if made available in the bush, could prevent as many as 80% of premature deaths from cardiac disease.