Current Projects
Learning to teach or teaching to learn: exploring experiences of rural trainees as clinical supervisors
Grant funding: ACRRM Education Research Grant 2026
Status: Data collection
Project team: RuralMedEd, Queensland Health
Help us improve diabetes care by addressing social challenges
People experiencing challenges such as poverty, unemployment or social isolation are more likely to develop diabetes and may find it harder to manage their condition. We want to hear from primary care staff about your experiences of identifying and addressing these social factors in diabetes care. We are particularly interested in finding out what helps, what gets in the way, and what support would make this easier in everyday practice.
This work is supported by a RACGP Foundation/Diabetes Australia Research Grant.
Geographic location the project wishes to recruit from: Australia-wide
Investigators: Associate Professor Hannah Woodall, Associate Professor Janani Pinidiyapathirage, Dr Sherrilyn Walters, Associate Professor Robert Heffernan, Dr Gaayathrri Balakrishnan
Contact person: Hannah Woodall, hannah.woodall@ruralmeded.org.
Closing date for recruitment: 30/11/2026
Link to survey: https://griffithuw.
Time involvement of participants: Approximately 15-20 minutes for the online survey. Participants may also elect to take part in an in-person or online interview with a member of the research team.
Participant reimbursement: Participants who elect to take part in the interview will receive a $50 gift voucher.
The Reflective Learning Toolkit: embracing diversity of reflective practice during clinical placements.
Grant funding: Griffith University
Status: Proposal development
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland
Development of model of communication for learning conversations involving ongoing patient care.
SCOPE Model of learning conversations RMEA 2026 pdfGrant funding: ACRRM Education Research Grant
Status: Manuscript writing
Project team: RuralMedEd, Queensland Health
This project has codesigned a practical model (SCOPE) to guide learning conversations between medical supervisors and trainees during ongoing patient care.
In the first phase, researchers observed learning conversations between medical supervisors and trainees to draft a prototype model reflecting current practice. During the codesign phase, supervisors and trainees from rural health services shared their needs, priorities, and experiences, helping refine the prototype model.
This framework highlights the dynamic, iterative nature of learning conversations, including the need for loop‑backs as clinical reasoning evolves.
Participants in the pilot simulation reported that SCOPE offered clarity and a practical structure that fits naturally into daily clinical routines. They noted that it helps address common barriers to effective learning conversations identified throughout the codesign process. They also recognised its value across multiple settings, including university learning, simulated training environments, workplace‑based teaching, and supervisor skill development.
Designing and evaluating game-based teaching: an escape room approach to enhance clinical reasoning skills in medical students.
Grant funding: Internal
Status: manuscript writing
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University
Exploration of cultural safety training and culturally safe practices by GP registrars when consulting with Indigenous patients
Grant funding: ACCRM Education Research Grant
Status: Data analysis and manuscript preparation
Project team: RuralMedEd, James Cook University, University of Southern Queensland.
Assessing cultural safety in telehealth general practice consultations for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Grant funding: ACCRM Education Research Grant
Status: Data analysis and manuscript preparation
Project team: RuralMedEd, James Cook University, University of Southern Queensland.
Enhancing the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients in goal-setting as part of general practice chronic disease management planning and routine health assessments through the development of a culturally safe goal-setting tool.
Grant funding: Pending
Status: Proposal development
Project team: RuralMedEd, James Cook University, University of Southern Queensland, Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement.
Person-centred care in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in general practice: Collaborative goal setting for self-management.
Grant funding: RACGP Foundation/ Diabetes Australia Grant
Status: Data collection and analysis
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University
Assessing cultural safety in general practice consultations for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Grant funding: Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF): Clinician Researchers Applied Research in Health Grant
Status: Data collection and analysis (Phase 1)
Project team: RuralMedEd, James Cook University, University of Southern Queensland.
Establishing cultural safety and responsiveness in rural hospitals: Exploring Aboriginal Health Practitioners’ and patients’ experiences.
MacAskill W, Woodall H, Dodd M, Dodd H, Gola S
Grant funding: Pending
Status: Proposal development
Project team: RuralMedEd, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service.
Workforce participation study – Skilled local healthcare workers.
MacAskill W, O’Shannessy M, Pinidiyapathirage J
Grant funding: Department of Employment, Small Business and Training’s (DESBT) Growing Workforce Participation Fund
Status: Active research.
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University, Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, Western Downs Regional Council.
Schooling re/engagement of rural/regional youth via wellbeing and community.
McGegor G, Pendergast D, Main K, Whatman S, MacAskill W, Lui P.
Grant funding: Pending
Status: Proposal development
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University, Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network.
Person-centred care in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes in general practice: Collaborative goal setting for self-management.
Pinidiyapathirage J, Woodall H, Brumpton K, Heffernan R, Walters S, Vuong K.
Grant funding: RACGP Foundation/ Diabetes Australia Grant
Status: Active research.
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University.
Recent trends in preferencing and accepting Queensland medical intern positions in non-metropolitan hospitals.
Pinidiyapathirage J, Ann P, Smith D, Wooley T, Wright S, Paton K, McGrail M.
Grant funding: Internal.
Status: Under Review.
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University
Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing for patients with sepsis in Rural Hospital Emergency Departments.
Heffernan AJ, Smedley A, Stickley T, Oomen S, Carrigan B, Heffernan R, Woodall H, Pinidiyapathirage J, Brumpton K.
Grant funding: Internal.
Status: Under Review.
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University
Does on-site Computed Tomography matter? A cross-sectional study of stroke patients’ door-to-scan-time in rural hospitals.
Nicholas Arnold, Kathryn Gough, Brendan Carrigan, William MacAskill.
Grant funding: Internal.
Status: Under Review.
Project team: RuralMedEd, Griffith University
Learning to teach or teaching to learn: exploring experiences of rural trainees as clinical supervisors
Grant funding: ACRRM Education Research Grant 2026
Status: Data collection
Project team: RuralMedEd, Queensland Health