Rural and Remote Health

Does physician recruitment impact access and health of rural residents? Evidence from the 2014 recruitment of 6000 physicians in Bangladesh

Wed, 08 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

In Bangladesh, nearly 70% of people live in rural areas and face difficulties accessing health care because of low availability of providers and the high costs of care. To mitigate this situation, the Bangladesh government hired more than 6000 physicians in 2014, but whether this increased access and improved health status for rural people has not been studied to date. This Original Research article presents one of the first studies to assess the impacts of physician recruitment on access to care and the health status of rural people in Bangladesh.

Clinical courage in rural Asia: a Philippine perspective

Mon, 06 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

This Letter to the Editor responds to a recent Rural and Remote Health article about the clinical courage in rural doctors. The authors reflect on how courage relates to community, culture and care for rural doctors in the Philippines.

Influences on medical students’ clinical school preferences: outcomes from a Rural Clinical School immersion program in Australia

Mon, 06 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

It is well established that medical students enrolled in a rural clinical school (RCS), particularly those who also have a rural background, are more likely to work rurally than medical students who only undertake metropolitan-based training. In response to rural workforce shortages in Western Victoria, Australia, the Deakin University Medical School introduced a rural training stream (RTS) to specifically recruit students from the local rural area and train them in the same region, with the aim that they will become local rural clinicians. To augment the introduction of the RTS, an innovative 3-day rural immersion program was developed to provide students with practical experience and knowledge about the RCS environment and help with preferencing decisions. This Policy Report contributes to the literature on medical students' RCS preferencing decisions and presents students' perceptions of the rural immersion program.

The Australian Allied Health Rural Generalist Pathway: contextual factors for success

Thu, 25 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

Retaining an allied health workforce is one of the many challenges faced by rural and remote health services. Supporting rural allied health professionals through targeted professional development positively impacts workforce satisfaction and retention. The Allied Health Rural Generalist Pathway (AHRGP), designed to develop and recognise the specialist skills and knowledge required for rural and remote allied health practice, was introduced in regional local health networks (LHNs) across South Australia in 2019. This Original Research article describes the personal and organisational contextual factors that contribute to successful completion of the AHRGP by trainees in regional LHNs in South Australia.

Employers’ perspectives on recruiting and retaining pharmacists in regional and rural Victoria, Australia

Wed, 24 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

Pharmacists and pharmacies play an integral part in the Australian healthcare system. However, rural and remote Australia has a shortage of practising pharmacists, which may impact fair and equitable access to medicines, primary healthcare advice and over-the-counter medicinal products for rural people. This Original Research article describes employers' perceptions of the extent and nature of the barriers involved in recruitment and retention of pharmacists in their rural and regional practices, and the efforts employers have made to address these barriers.

Development of the Attitude Scale Towards Rural Health Services: a study with university health students in Türkiye

Sun, 21 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

The effectiveness of rural health services depends on factors such as the distribution and motivation of the rural health workforce, the adequacy of health infrastructure and the accessibility of health services to local communities. The attitudes of university students towards rural health services can be indicative of their intention to work in rural areas post-graduation and understanding these attitudes can be useful for developing policies and education to support rural health services. This Original Research study presents a valid and reliable psychometric tool to measure the attitudes of health students towards rural health services in Turkey.

‘Get away from it all’ or ‘Too good to be true?’: a qualitative exploration of job advertisements for remote and rural posts

Tue, 16 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

Recruitment and retention of the rural healthcare workforce is crucial to maintaining access to services and provision of care in rural communities. Past research has found that healthcare professionals being born or brought up in a rural area remains the strongest indicator of rural career intention, and rural placements during training may also have an impact. Several studies have also investigated the role of 'community attractiveness', including place-related features such as recreational opportunities, spousal satisfaction, schools, shopping, housing, social networks and general perception of the community. All these elements relate to the concept of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), which aims to support communities to make best use of the assets available to them to improve their situation. This Original Research article examines how NHS job advertisements represent the community to which they are recruiting, drawing on ABCD to focus on which social and professional community assets are given prominence and how.

The epidemiology of oro-facial injuries in rural and metropolitan Queensland, Australia

Mon, 15 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

There is a significant gap in understanding how rurality influences the epidemiology of oral and maxillofacial (OMF) injuries. This Original Research study provides novel insights into the epidemiology of OMF injuries across Queensland, with a particular focus on rural areas. By using a comprehensive, broad dataset spanning several years, the research offers a unique perspective that can significantly inform public health initiatives, resource allocation and policy development aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of these injuries, particularly in underserved rural areas.

Ultrasonography in primary care

Fri, 12 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

In this Letter to the Editor, the authors describe the use and challenges of ultrasound in family medicine in Greece and call for structured and continual ultrasound training for family physicians.

Events and experiences shaping a sense of belonging in rural and remote healthcare placements: a scoping review

Thu, 11 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

Recruiting healthcare professionals to rural and remote areas remains a persistent challenge. Research has found that if healthcare students have favourable rural placements, it enhances their willingness to return to practice in rural areas. The positivity of a rural placement experience often stems from the feeling or sense of belonging during the placement period but limited research has explored what contributes to 'belonging'. This Scoping review explores the events and experiences that influence medical, nursing and allied health students' sense of belonging in rural and remote communities while on clinical placement.

An evaluation of the referral systems at community health centres in remote, border and island regions of Indonesia: a research protocol

Tue, 09 Sep 25 00:00:00 +0000

Communities on small islands can experience limited access to health care because of the large travel distances to available services. In Indonesia, a country of more than 16,000 islands, community health centres, which are spread across the country, fulfil a pivotal role in the healthcare system, acting as the primary entry point for individuals seeking care. Patients requiring specialist or hospital care are referred to different facilities. This Original Research study explores the referrals process in the Sangihe Islands Regency, a group of approximately 150 islands and one of the outermost regions in Indonesia, and provides suggestions to enhance the referral of patients from community health centres on small islands and in border regions to regional hospitals.

Vale Jill Konkin

Thu, 28 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

In this article, Professor Lucie Walters pays tribute to Professor Jill Konkin, a trailblazer and inspiration in rural medical education and rural health care.

Polypharmacy and non-returned off-island referral among residents of remote islands: a retrospective cohort study in Okinawa, Japan

Thu, 28 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Polypharmacy is linked to various health events, including falls, hospitalization, and mortality. However, no previous studies have investigated the association between polypharmacy and off-island referrals that prevent older island residents from remaining on their islands of residence. Okinawa Prefecture comprises a large main island at the southernmost tip of Japan and several smaller remote islands. This Original Research study describes the cases of non-return after off-island referrals in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and examines the relationship between polypharmacy and non-returned off-island referrals in the primary care setting of remote islands.

The ‘why’ and the ‘who’ of choosing a rural Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship: medical graduates’ perspectives from a qualitative study

Mon, 25 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships (LICs) immerse students longitudinally in a clinical environment, whereby they undertake continuous learning from supervisors, peers and patients, achieve core clinical skills in an integrated manner and foster relationships between all parties. The combination of continuous learning and active engagement in patient care is thought to be important in encouraging students to take up careers in low-resource settings, where there is often a maldistribution in the medical workforce. Understanding the reasons that students self-select rural LICs offers a distinct perspective that may inform selection policies and recruitment strategies. This Original Research article explores LIC graduates' preferencing decisions and the attributes they consider most important in students undertaking a rural LIC.

Differences between rural and urban primary care practices in asthma and allergic rhinitis control: the Greek experience

Mon, 25 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common non-communicable chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa with a prevalence as high as 50% in many European countries. AR frequently occurs in conjunction with other conditions, including asthma, and most people with allergic asthma and at least 50% of those with non-allergic asthma suffer from AR. Treatment guidelines emphasize the importance of simultaneously targeting both asthma and AR, but few data exist that evaluate the control of symptoms and health-related quality of life in patients, especially rural patients, with AR and asthma. This Original Research study compares asthma and comorbid AR control among primary care patients in urban versus rural areas in Greece and identifies factors that might influence the control of asthma and co-morbid AR.

Rural-urban disparities in stroke outcomes: unveiling quality of life, self-efficacy and healthcare utilization patterns of stroke patients in Türkiye

Wed, 20 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Rural stroke patients can experience obstacles (few healthcare professionals and long travel distances) in accessing stroke unit care, brain imaging within 24 hours, carotid imaging, and consultations from neurologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists. Additionally, they are less likely to be transferred to inpatient rehabilitation facilities. This Original Research article examines the impact of residential location on the quality of life and self-efficacy of stroke patients in rural Türkiye.

From prejudice to pride: how to prevent medical student relocation

Mon, 18 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Several studies have found that, once licensed, physicians tend to remain in the region in which they studied. In France, undergraduate medical students must do their professional training in the region of the medical faculty that they attend. This is a problem for the most medically underserved region in France, the Centre-Val de Loire (CVDL), because many students from the CVDL prefer to enrol at the medical faculties in the nearby cities of Limoges and Poitiers, which are in a different region, rather than the only medical faculty in the region. In this Original Research article, the authors report on the number of students from a rural country in the CVDL enrolled at the local CVDL medical faculty and the medical faculties at Limoges and Poitiers, compare first-year pass rates between each faculty and identify factors that influence students' choice of medical faculty.

The effect of maternity waiting homes utilization on institutional delivery in the islands area: evidence from Indonesia

Sat, 16 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

To lower Indonesia's maternal and infant mortality rates, the Indonesian government encourages women to give birth in medical buildings (eg. hospitals and health centers). However, in several remote and underdeveloped provinces, use of these services remains low due to unequal access to transportation and communication across the Indonesian archipelago. Maternity waiting homes, places or rooms located near a health center or hospital that can be used by pregnant women and their families for several days pre-labor and post birth, have been introduced to help address these challenges. This Original Research article investigates the use of maternity waiting homes and their impact on increasing institutional deliveries in remote island regions of Indonesia.

Health, wellbeing and safety among farmers in small rural areas of Indonesia – a pilot study

Tue, 05 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Indonesia is predominantly an agricultural country, with 10.5% of its labour force engaged in the agricultural sector, but little is known about the health status of the Indonesian farming population. Several factors contribute to poor health outcomes among farming populations around the world, including living in rural areas, where access to socioeconomic opportunities and health services can be limited compared with urban dwellers, hazardous environmental conditions (including use of agrichemicals) and injuries (including from motorbike and quad bike accidents). This pilot study describes the health and wellbeing status, and the behavioural, lifestyle and safety risk factors, among farmers in Indonesia.

A comparative study of self-esteem in secondary school adolescents in urban and rural settings of Oyo State, Nigeria

Tue, 05 Aug 25 00:00:00 +0000

Self-esteem has profound implications for mental and emotional wellbeing, particularly during adolescence, when fluctuations can affect psychological development and have long-term effects into adulthood. Despite recognition of the role of self-esteem in adolescent health and development, it remains understudied. This Original Research study compares self-esteem levels among secondary school adolescents in urban and rural settings in Oyo State, Nigeria, and identifies key predictors of low self-esteem.