Approaches Used to Describe, Measure, and Analyze Place of Practice in Dentistry, Medical, Nursing, and Allied Health Rural Graduate Workforce Research in Australia: A Systematic Scoping Review

Hannah Beks, Sandra Walsh, Laura Alston, Martin Jones, Tony Smith, Darryl Maybery, Keith Sutton and Vincent L Versace
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Hannah Beks: School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia
Sandra Walsh: Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia, Whyalla 5608, Australia
Laura Alston: School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia
Martin Jones: Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia, Whyalla 5608, Australia
Tony Smith: Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Taree 2430, Australia
Darryl Maybery: Department of Rural Health & Indigenous Health, Monash University, Warragul 3820, Australia
Keith Sutton: Department of Rural Health & Indigenous Health, Monash University, Warragul 3820, Australia
Vincent L Versace: School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Redressing the maldistribution of the health workforce in regional, rural, and remote geographical areas is a global issue and crucial to improving the accessibility of primary health care and specialist services. Geographical classification systems are important as they provide an objective and quantifiable measure of access and can have direct policy relevance, yet they are not always consistently applied in rural health research. It is unclear how research focusing on the graduate health workforce in Australia has described, measured, and analyzed place of practice. To examine approaches used, this review systematically scopes Australian rural studies focusing on dentistry, medicine, nursing, and allied health graduates that have included place of practice as an outcome measure. The Joanna Brigg’s Institute Scoping Review Methodology was used to guide the review. Database searches retrieved 1130 unique citations, which were screened, resulting in 62 studies for inclusion. Included studies were observational, with most focusing on the practice locations of medical graduates and predicators of rural practice. Variations in the use of geographical classification approaches to define rurality were identified and included the use of systems that no longer have policy relevance, as well as adaptations of existing systems that make future comparisons between studies challenging. It is recommended that research examining the geographical distribution of the rural health workforce use uniform definitions of rurality that are aligned with current government policy.

Keywords: rural health; health workforce; health occupations; health economics and organizations; allied health occupations; nursing; dentistry; medicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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