About the Rural Research in Emergency Care Network
RRECN is dedicated to improving emergency care in rural and remote communities by advancing evidence-based practices through collaborative research.
We formed in late 2024 to address the unique challenges of rural emergency medicine, ensuring that research is context-specific, practical, and applicable to rural healthcare settings. We are supported by Deakin University’s Centre for Rural Emergency Medicine, which provides guidance and expertise in rural emergency healthcare research.
Our Vision
Our vision is to improve emergency care in rural and remote communities by advancing evidence-based practices through collaborative research.
We will create opportunities for rural patient representation and ensure that patient care is informed by high-quality, context-specific evidence, enhancing patient outcomes across Australia and New Zealand.
Who We Are
RRECN is a collaborative network open to anyone involved in rural emergency medicine. We welcome:
✅ Emergency specialists
✅ Rural generalists and other medical practitioners
✅ Registered nurses, emergency nurses, bush nurses, nurse practitioners
✅ Paramedics and allied health professionals
✅ Administrators and policy makers
✅ Healthcare students
✅ Community members
We currently have representatives from most Australian states and territories, as well as Aotearoa New Zealand, and we aim to expand our reach to ensure that rural emergency healthcare voices are heard across the region.
What We Do
- Conduct & Support Research – We lead our own research projects and support external researchers who seek to address rural emergency care challenges.
- Create & Promote Rural-Specific Evidence-Based Practice – We ensure that research is practical and directly applicable to rural healthcare settings.
- Support Rural Emergency Clinicians – We help rural clinicians develop as researchers by providing networking, mentorship, and research opportunities.
- Facilitate Collaboration – We connect rural clinicians and researchers across Australia and New Zealand, while also linking them to larger urban research organizations to strengthen research partnerships.
- Advocate for Rural Health – We work to ensure that research and policy reflect the needs of rural emergency departments.
Our Scope
We focus on emergency care for patients in rural and remote settings, using:
- Australia: Modified Monash Model (MMM) 2–7
- New Zealand: Geographical Classification for Health (U2, R1, R2, R3)