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“Beyond workforce”: a systemic solution for health service provision in small rural and remote communities
Author(s) -
Humphreys John S,
Wakerman John,
Wells Robert,
Kuipers Pim,
Jones Judith A,
Entwistle Phil
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01751.x
Subject(s) - outreach , workforce , business , context (archaeology) , sustainability , typology , service (business) , corporate governance , scale (ratio) , process management , knowledge management , service delivery framework , rural health , environmental resource management , public relations , health care , economic growth , marketing , political science , computer science , sociology , economics , geography , finance , ecology , cartography , archaeology , anthropology , biology
Successful, “innovative” primary health care (PHC) models exist that have adapted to the specific circumstances of their rural and remote context. A typology of discrete, integrated, comprehensive and outreach rural and remote services exists rather than a “one coat fits all” PHC health service model. Successful models are characterised by macro‐scale environmental enablers (supportive health policy, federal–state relations, and community readiness) and five essential service requirements (workforce organisation and supply; funding; governance, management and leadership; linkages; and infrastructure). Service sustainability depends on ensuring that key systemic service requirements are met at the local level in ways that accord with, and are supported by, the broader macro‐scale environmental enablers. Based on these principles, these model types are amenable to generalisation and evaluation in other regions.