Social Determinants of Rural Health Workforce Retention: A Scoping Review

Residents of rural and remote Australia have poorer health outcomes than their metropolitan counterparts. A major contributor to these health disparities is chronic and severe health workforce shortages outside of metropolitan areas-a global phenomenon. Despite emerging recognition of the important...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2019-01, Vol.16 (3), p.314
Main Authors: Cosgrave, Catherine, Malatzky, Christina, Gillespie, Judy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Baby boomers
Career advancement
Chronic illnesses
Health
Health disparities
Health services
Health Workforce
Humans
Influence
Job satisfaction
Medical personnel
Nurses
Nursing
Professionals
Recruitment
Retention
Review
Rural areas
Rural health care
Rural Health Services
Rural Population
Shortages
Social Determinants of Health
Workforce
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Summary:Residents of rural and remote Australia have poorer health outcomes than their metropolitan counterparts. A major contributor to these health disparities is chronic and severe health workforce shortages outside of metropolitan areas-a global phenomenon. Despite emerging recognition of the important influence of place-based social processes on retention, much of the political attention and research is directed elsewhere. A structured scoping review was undertaken to describe the range of research addressing the influence of place-based social processes on turnover or retention of rural health professionals, to identify current gaps in the literature, and to formulate a guide for future rural health workforce retention research. A systematic search of the literature was performed. In total, 21 articles were included, and a thematic analysis was undertaken. The themes identified were (1) rural familiarity and/or interest, (2) social connection and place integration, (3) community participation and satisfaction, and (4) fulfillment of life aspirations. Findings suggest place-based social processes affect and influence the retention of rural health workforces. However, these processes are not well understood. Thus, research is urgently needed to build robust understandings of the social determinants of rural workforce retention. It is contended that future research needs to identify which place-based social processes are amenable to change.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph16030314