Developing the rural health workforce to improve Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective. The aim of the present study was to identify evidence-based strategies in the literature for developing and maintaining a skilled and qualified rural and remote health workforce in Australia to better meet the health care needs of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) people.Methods. A systematic search strategy was implemented using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and checklist. Exclusion and inclusion criteria were applied, and 26 papers were included in the study. These 26 papers were critically evaluated and analysed for common findings about the rural health workforce providing services for Aboriginal people.Results. There were four key findings of the study: (1) the experience of Aboriginal people in the health workforce affects their engagement with education, training and employment; (2) particular factors affect the effectiveness and longevity of the non-Aboriginal workforce working in Aboriginal health; (3) attitudes and behaviours of the workforce have a direct effect on service delivery design and models in Aboriginal health; and (4) student placements affect the likelihood of applying for rural and remote health jobs in Aboriginal communities after graduation. Each finding has associated evidence-based strategies including those to promote the engagement and retention of Aboriginal staff; training and support for non-Aboriginal health workers; effective service design; and support strategies for effective student placement.Conclusions. Strategies are evidenced in the peer-reviewed literature to improve the rural and remote workforce for health delivery for Australian Aboriginal people and should be considered by policy makers, funders and program managers.What is known about the topic? There is a significant amount of peer-reviewed literature about the recruitment and retention of the rural and remote health workforce. What does this paper add? There is a gap in the literature about strategies to improve recruitment and retention of the rural and remote health workforce for health delivery for Australian Aboriginal people. This paper provides evidencebased strategies in four key areas. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings of the present study are relevant for policy makers, funders and program managers in rural and remote Aboriginal health.

Improving Delivery of Secondary Prophylaxis for Rheumatic Heart Disease in a High‐Burden Setting: Outcome of a Stepped‐Wedge, Community, Randomized Trial

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Transformative effects of Aboriginal health placements for medical, nursing, and allied health students: A systematic review

“…In terms of desire to work in Aboriginal health, studies only provided evidence of students’ intentions (Abuzar et al, ; Abuzar & Owen, ; Hart et al, ). A larger pool of evidence in the rural health context suggests that providing students with rural and remote placements in Aboriginal communities might contribute to the workforce over time (Gwynne & Lincoln, ). Additionally, a study comparing career choice of nursing students, who undertook either a rural or metropolitan clinical placement, found that significantly more students who undertook a rural placement (77%) intended to seek work rurally than those who had a metropolitan placement (42%) ( P < .0001) (Courtney, Edwards, Smith, & Finlayson, ).…”

Long-term trends in supply and sustainability of the health workforce in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory of Australia

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