Rural and Remote Health

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Rural and Remote Health RRH is an international, open access journal that publishes peer-reviewed articles by rural health practitioners, educators, researchers and policy makers.

New Review Article in RRH: Rural internship in medical education: a scoping review on professional retention and career ...
18/10/2026

New Review Article in RRH: Rural internship in medical education: a scoping review on professional retention and career intentions in rural practice by Olimpio Camargo, Renata Burghausen Valença de Souza, Juliane Soldi Malgarin and William Bellani.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10001/nafb/

Although rural populations account for nearly half the world’s population, many rural communities continue to face substantial barriers to accessing quality health care, largely due to shortages and maldistribution of qualified health professionals. One strategy that countries have invested in to improve the attraction and retention of qualified physicians in rural areas is exposure to rural practice during medical training. This Scoping Review identifies and synthesizes the literature on the educational, professional, and service-related effects of rural medical internships undertaken during undergraduate medical education, including their reported contribution to healthcare delivery in rural communities.


New Original Research article in RRH: Geographic distribution of physicians and teachers in Japan – what might we learn ...
18/10/2026

New Original Research article in RRH: Geographic distribution of physicians and teachers in Japan – what might we learn from the contrast between two workforce allocation systems? by Tatsuki Aikyo and Masatoshi Matsumoto.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10729/nafb/

In Japan, health care and education are considered basic rights to which all individuals should have equitable access. However, while even small rural towns usually have schools and teachers, many rural areas have a shortage of physicians, resulting in substantial regional disparities in access to health care. This Original Research study examines the distribution of physicians and teachers in Japan and explores what this can tell us about providing essential services more equitably.

univ.ed

New Commentary in RRH: When do conclusions reverse? Reporting decision thresholds in remote health planning by Christos ...
11/10/2026

New Commentary in RRH: When do conclusions reverse? Reporting decision thresholds in remote health planning by Christos Melidis.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10829/nafb/

sensitivity analyses, which may provide reassurance without fully clarifying the conditions that determine the preferred option. This Commentary argues that reporting reversal thresholds – the values at which a planning conclusion would no longer hold – offers a simple but powerful complement to existing practice. By making these thresholds explicit, analysts can improve the transparency, credibility and usefulness of planning analyses in remote settings.

New Original Research article in RRH: Are there more healthcare workers in our community? A phenomenological exploration...
09/10/2026

New Original Research article in RRH: Are there more healthcare workers in our community? A phenomenological exploration of factors influencing local hospital and primary care worker re-engagement in rural Australia by William MacAskill, Megan O’Shannessy, Sherrilyn Walters, Eesha Bajra, Joshua Edwards and Janani Pinidiyapathirage.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10203/nafb/

Many rural Australian communities are facing ongoing critical health workforce shortages, exacerbating already low rates of healthcare access compared with metropolitan areas. Future shortages appear likely because many Australian healthcare workers intend to retire early due to burnout, psychological distress, long working hours, budget cuts, or workforce retention issues. Little is known about the latent capacity of healthcare workers already living in rural communities who are unemployed, working casually or part-time, or otherwise not participating in the workforce to the extent they may be willing or able to sustain. This Original Research study investigates the barriers and enablers to increasing the participation, recruitment, and retention of underemployed rural healthcare workers in Australia.


Griffith University

New Original Research article in RRH: Navigating the healthcare systems for primary caregivers of children with developm...
08/10/2026

New Original Research article in RRH: Navigating the healthcare systems for primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities: experiences from a rural setting in Kenya by Mchungwani Rashid, Amani Karisa, Erick Makhapila and Silas Onyango.

Globally, the needs of children with developmental disabilities have often been overlooked in health systems planning and policy provision. Parents and families of children with developmental disabilities navigate extremely complex health, education, and social systems to secure a safe and supportive environment for their children. In Kenya, caregivers face barriers including long distances to healthcare facilities, perceived discrimination, lack of physiotherapist services, and inadequate scheduling of appointments, and all of these barriers are intensified for families in rural and remote areas. This Original Research article examines how primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities navigate healthcare systems in rural Kenya.


African Population and Health Research Center

New Original Research article in RRH: Assessing the impact of workload factors on self-assessed sustainability among rur...
06/10/2026

New Original Research article in RRH: Assessing the impact of workload factors on self-assessed sustainability among rural internationally trained physicians by Sona Witt, Udoka Okpalauwaekwe, Carla Fehr, Jon Witt and Taofiq Oyedokun.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10907/nafb/

Canada is facing a primary care crisis, with rural areas being disproportionately affected by physician shortages. Internationally trained physicians (ITPs) have become essential to addressing rural workforce shortages and constitute more than 80% of rural physicians in Saskatchewan. Given their central role in rural healthcare delivery, understanding ITPs' perceptions of workload sustainability is essential for informing workforce planning, physician wellbeing, and long-term rural retention. The Saskatchewan International Physician Practice Assessment (SIPPA) program offers a unique opportunity to explore ITP experiences. This Original Research study explores how specific workload demands influence self-reported sustainability among SIPPA-participating ITPs.


New Short Communication in RRH: The utility of point-of-care haemoglobin A1c tests in a very remote Aboriginal and Torre...
04/10/2026

New Short Communication in RRH: The utility of point-of-care haemoglobin A1c tests in a very remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community: an agreement analysis with routine laboratory testing by Hasthi Dissanayake, Sabine Braat, George Gurruwiwi, Ruth Gulamanda, Josh Tynan, Lindy Marlow, Benjamin Harrap, Kenny Gongnini, John Wentworth, Lou Sanderson, Beverley-Ann Biggs and CLAN Study Group.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10969/nafb/

Type 2 diabetes is a key modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and the best outcomes are achieved with early diagnosis and management to prevent health complications. However, managing diabetes in remote areas is challenging. The six main communities in the Yolηu region of East Arnhem are, on average, 627 km from the nearest laboratory, making access to pathology results and follow-up of patients logistically challenging. The implementation of portable haemoglobin A1c point-of-care testing (POCT) in outreach, family-based services can reduce barriers related to transportation, waiting times and administrative procedures. This Short Communication reports on agreement analysis between a portable HbA1c POCT system and routine laboratory HbA1c testing in a very remote North East Arnhem Land community, Australia.



New Original Research article for RRH: Adapting to context: supervisors' views on professionalism and professional ident...
17/09/2026

New Original Research article for RRH: Adapting to context: supervisors' views on professionalism and professional identity development in regional, rural and remote settings by Emma Kennedy and Robyn Philip.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10149/nafb/

Although much has been written about how students develop professionalism and professional identity, less is known about the role and perspectives of clinical supervisors, the relationships that connect or disconnect them from the communities and cultures in which they work, and how these contexts influence students as they develop professionally. This qualitative Original Research study, undertaken in the Northern Territory, Australia, reports on the key challenges and benefits of clinical placements in unique settings, and factors that impact student development and professional identity.


Flinders University

New Original Research article in RRH: Perceived consequences of megadrought on wellbeing and the role of health care: na...
14/09/2026

New Original Research article in RRH: Perceived consequences of megadrought on wellbeing and the role of health care: narratives from rural communities in Elqui Province, Chile by Lizet Veliz-Rojas, Ana María González and Andrés Bianchetti-Saavedra.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10701/nafb/

Climate change is recognized as one of the most complex and persistent challenges for global public health, and drought, an extreme weather event that is increasing in frequency as a result of climate change, is one of the most geographically widespread natural hazards worldwide. Evidence remains limited on how rural communities experience the health consequences of prolonged drought and how they perceive the role of health care in responding to this crisis. Chile has experienced several major droughts, including a megadrought that has persisted in central Chile since 2010. This Original Research article describes the perceived consequences of drought and examines the role of health care from the perspectives of members of two rural communities in Chile.


Universidad Central Región de Coquimbo Facultad de Medicina UCN

New Rural Health History article in RRH: The history of disability and rehabilitation in rural South Africa: hidden rura...
06/09/2026

New Rural Health History article in RRH: The history of disability and rehabilitation in rural South Africa: hidden rural disability and the power of collaboration by Naeema Reis, Pamela McLaren and Huib Cornielje.

https://www.rrh.org.au/landing/newarticle10850/nafb/

Globally, more than 1.3 billion people experience significant disability, with the highest unmet rehabilitation needs found in rural and resource-constrained settings. In South Africa, disability prevalence remains underestimated, particularly in rural areas where under-reporting, limited access to services, and social stigma persist. This Rural Health History article examines the historical evolution of disability and rehabilitation in rural South Africa through a qualitative document review of archival materials, exploring policy development, service evolution, and system-level change over time.

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