Background to the Study - NRGPS Abstract

Aims

This paper describes the workforce issues which lead to the development of the National Rural General Practice Study. The Study was designed to develop a profile of rural and remote general practice in Australia. Results from the Study will potentially feed into programs designed to improve the recruitment, retention and training of rural practitioner, and will set a basis for monitoring changes in the rural practice environment and rural practice experiences. In addition to developing a profile, the Study aimed to make some assessment of practitioner reactions to existing training and support programs, and to analyse practitioner responses to recent changes in the rural practice environment.

Methods

The National Rural General Practice Study recognised that there was a range of pre-existing information about rural practice both nationally and sub-nationally. Significant analyses of rural practice in Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria were conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have ongoing national collections of information about rural practice. The Study methodology therefore included arranging access to existing information, as well as designing an appropriate instrument to collect additional information. Additional information was collected through a national mailed survey form sent to almost 4000 general practitioners across Australia. The survey asked for information about practice experiences; quality of life issues; family and personal background; training and support programs; and attitudes to change in the practice environment.

Results

National information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare focuses on characteristics such as hours worked; qualifications; and work setting. There was no existing source of national information about attitudes to quality of life; workforce experiences; and training and support programs. In attempting to collect such additional information, the issue of identifying and contacting rural and remote general practitioners was a significant one. Lists of general practitioners were provided in each State and the Northern Territory by organisations such as Rural Incentives Programs and Rural Divisions Coordinating Units. While an overall response rate of just fifty percent was initially received to surveys mailed to doctors on these lists, the final response rate for rural and remote doctors (excluding doctors who were practising in urban areas, or were not practising at all) was 74%. There was some evidence that the quality of responses to the survey was very good, despite some concerns over wording and organisation of the questions. Data quality assessment was conducted, and this established a high level of confidence in the validity and reliability of survey responses.

Discussion

The National Rural General Practice Study combined an analysis of existing data about rural medicine with the collection of additional data from rural and remote general practitioners in every State and the Northern Territory. The Study has collected data which can feed into policy initiatives such as those emanating from the National Rural Health Strategy.

Further Information

Further information about the National Rural General Practice Study and its implications for rural general practice policy in Australia can be found in the study working papers and final report.

You can obtain copies of the working papers and final report from Anske Robinson at the School of Rural Health.