Doctors in secondary schools program: The first year of program implementation in a rural Victorian school

Abstract

Introduction: Lifelong health behaviour habits are often consolidated in adolescence, with primary health care an important element of current and future health and wellbeing. Barriers to adolescent primary healthcare access are complex and include social, behavioural and geographical issues as well as organisational and systemic barriers. Method: This article describes the first year of implementation of a Doctors in Secondary School program in a rural setting in Victoria, Australia. Results: The program provided 332 primary healthcare appointments over 10 months, equating to 102.33 hours of general practitioner contact with students. The program offered scheduled and unscheduled (drop-in) ..