Program aim

To support programs aimed at ensuring a skilled and adequate health workforce to meet the health needs of rural populations into the future.

A strong basis for the research program

Associate Professor Deborah Schofield brings a strong health economics modelling skill and background to this highly relevant research program. The program was begun at the end of 2004, and to date has focused on three key areas:

• Analysis of the impact of ageing and generational change on the health workforce and its implications for retirement of medical practitioners and nurses.
• The Careers in Rural Health Tracking Study (CIRHTS). CIRHTS is a longitudinal survey of about 1000 medical, nursing, and allied health students who have completed a rural or remote training placement each year. The CIRHTS was established and piloted and is ready to commence in 2006.
• Proposal of options for addressing the shortage of health professionals in rural areas. This will be based on outcomes from the ‘Standing on the Edge’ forum hosted by the NRUDRH in 2005, involving key stakeholders including state and Australian government agencies, universities, rural doctors, senior health professionals, peak bodies and community representatives .

Key stakeholders are engaged in setting and implementing the research agenda

Key stakeholder who are being actively engaged in this new workforce program include senior health policy makers and health professionals from NSW Health, the partner Area Health services, the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Government Central Agencies and AMWAC.

In the next 3-5 years

Over the next 3 years this program will:

• Extend the work on the impact of ageing and generational change on the health workforce and its impact on retirement to include a wider range of health professions and analysis of regional areas.
• Implement the Rural Health Tracking Study at Broken Hill and Lismore University Departments of Rural Health. The survey will be used to examine the potentially rich and complex influences that encourage or discourage rural practice. It will also examine how willingness to work in a rural area translates into actual workforce participation. This project has attracted its firsts grant and we will be recruiting a part-time academic to work on the project in 2006.
• Further develop rural workforce models including multidisciplinary teams.
• Commence a joint project with the health services program to examine the economic impacts of illness, particularly for older workers.

Team:
Dr Sue Page – NRUDRH – North Coast Medical Education Collaborative (NCMEC)
Associate Professor Jeffrey Fuller - NRUDRH
Mr Hudson Birden- NCMEC
Ms Susan Fletcher - NRUDRH
Dr Megan Passey – NRUDRH
Mr Rupendra Shrestha - NRUDRH
Professor David Lyle - BHUDRH
Professor Brian Kelly – CRRMH
Ms Jocelyn Morris – BHUDRH
Ms Deborah Donohue – NRUDRH