RURAL AND REMOTE ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS: IS DISTANCE EDUCATION A VIABLE OPTION FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDY?

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Abstract
The community expectations and professional needs of rural and remote area allied health professionals differ from their city counterparts. For example, career opportunities within the rural and remote area service are limited as is access to continuing education and peer group support. In addition, their role is more diverse than that of their city counterparts as they are called upon to provide expert knowledge over a wider range of areas.Community expectations of rural and remote area allied health professionals has led to differences in educational needs. Clearly continuing education needs to be broadly based across specialisations and delivered in ways that allow access and are supportive of the circumstances of rural and remote area service workers.This paper aims to introduce research about the professional educational needs of rural and remote area physiotherapists in South Australia and the Northern Territory. In a response to these needs a trial and evaluation of two postgraduate distance education subjects in relation to their suitability in meeting these needs is discussed. Finally, a Graduate Certificate in Physiotherapy (Rural and Remote Area Studies) will be presented as one possible solution to these dilemmas.

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