Social Determinants of Rural Health Workforce Retention: A Scoping Review.

Social Determinants of Rural Health Workforce Retention: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jan 24;16(3): Authors: Cosgrave C, Malatzky C, Gillespie J Abstract 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 un...
Source: Rural Remote Health - Category: Rural Health Authors: Tags: Int J Environ Res Public Health Source Type: research