Rural and Remote Health

Evaluation of ICT-based EMS implementation in medically underserved areas: usability, feasibility and impact

Thu, 30 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Many rural populations have limited access to timely and appropriate emergency medical services (EMS), which can result in higher mortality rates compared with cities. To address this, the Korean Government has initiated extra measures in EMS-vulnerable areas. One recent measure is an information and communication technology-based emergency medical services (ICT-EMS) system specifically targeting North Chungcheong Province. Its key features include real-time transmission of patient information, triage based on severity, selection of appropriate hospitals, remote medical consultations, coordinated transportation, and the secure sharing of critical patient data. This Original Research study evaluates the effectiveness and practical implications of the North Chungcheong Province ICT-EMS system from the perspectives of hospital stakeholders.

Recruitment and retention of the allied health workforce in rural and remote Australia: a scoping review

Mon, 27 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Rural and remote health in Australia relies on a consistent health workforce to service the population, but attracting and maintaining health professionals to work in rural locations is a well-documented and ongoing issue. Although allied health professionals are an important part of the health workforce, previous studies have identified a perceived lower priority for research into the allied health workforce compared with the medical workforce. This Scoping Review identifies, describes and addresses workforce recruitment and retention issues and initiatives for allied health professionals in rural and remote Australia.

Self-reported measures of preparedness of graduates of a new remote and rural graduate-entry medical program (ScotGEM)

Mon, 27 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Scotland continues to face doctor shortages, particularly in remote, rural and socioeconomically deprived areas. Conventional medical training has not resolved geographical or specialty imbalances. Increasing student numbers alone is insufficient; curricula must provide sustained rural and primary-care exposure to cultivate the skills, resilience and adaptability these settings demand. The Scottish Graduate-Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) program seeks to meet this need through a 4-year program that immerses graduates in community and rural practice. This Short Communication reports on ScotGEM graduates' self-reported preparedness for clinical practice.

Evaluating the service readiness of a Paraguay public healthcare center for the primary healthcare system using the WHO SARA tool

Sat, 25 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Strengthening the primary healthcare system is particularly critical in low- and middle-income countries like Paraguay, where there are resource constraints and workforce shortages and healthcare infrastructure is limited. This Original Research study reports on the service readiness of public healthcare facilities in Paraguay using the World Health Organization's Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA) tool and identifies areas for improvement.

Awareness of access to health care: a significant need of the Narikuravar people, India

Thu, 23 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Marginalised communities worldwide often face poor health outcomes and these disparities are frequently rooted in historical disadvantages and challenging socioeconomic conditions. Among the most affected are the Narikuravar population of Tamil Nadu, India, who experience limited access to education and unstable income, further perpetuating these inequities. This Original Research article investigates the healthcare needs and access challenges for the Narikuravar people living in Poonjeri, India.

Factors associated with quality of life for people in a rural area of Peru: importance of family health and socioeconomic aspects

Mon, 20 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Quality of life in adults and family health are two interrelated dimensions that play a fundamental role in the general wellbeing of people and their families. In Peru, previous studies have examined rural health, socioeconomic conditions and quality of life independently but few have explored how family health vulnerability interacts with socioeconomic factors to influence perceived quality of life. This Original Research study investigates the relationship between family health vulnerability and quality of life in residents of a rural district in southern Peru, while accounting for key socioeconomic variables.

Urban-rural disparities in maternal mortality between 2014 and 2021 in Colombia

Fri, 17 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Each day, approximately 800 pregnant women die globally, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries. The leading causes of maternal mortality are preventable and intricately tied to social inequality, which is linked to place of residence; in many places, sharp divides in access to social resources exist between urban and rural areas. In Colombia, there has been a concerning increase in maternal mortality since 2013. This Original Research study investigates social inequalities in maternal mortality by area of residence in Colombia.

‘We feel better here now’: traditional practices, sanitation, and dialog with the biomedical system to restore spiritual harmony in an Indigenous community in Colombia

Thu, 16 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Owing to the ongoing effects of colonization, Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately affected by systematic inequalities including racism, disadvantage, and disconnection with culture, which can manifest in disparities in health. Previous research has found that suicide rates for Indigenous young people are higher than in non-Indigenous young people. Mental health for Indigenous Peoples in Colombia is understood as spiritual harmony, balance between body, territory, community, and spirit. This Original Research study explored spiritual harmony in the Indigenous pediatric population of an Embera Dobidá community in Colombia, particularly factors relating to mental health, food security, general health, and connection to the land.

Pleasure and suffering in the rural nurse’s work process: a scoping review

Fri, 10 Oct 25 00:00:00 +0000

Despite their critical roles in underserved areas, the work of rural nurses can be invisible in health policy, research, and training curricula. Rural nurses face unique challenges, such as geographic isolation, lack of resources, and insufficient educational preparation, which contribute to high levels of stress and professional dissatisfaction. These factors affect individual health professionals but also have an impact on the quality of care delivered in rural populations. This Review identifies and maps the rewards and challenges, or factors contributing to 'pleasure' and 'suffering'- as derived from the work of Christophe Dejours - for rural nurses.

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.