About this Research Topic
Implementing strategies to train and support the rural health workforce in low and middle income countries (LMICs) is urgently needed. Rural areas are the most under-serviced around the world and rural communities in LMICs have by far the greatest needs. Governments, non-government organizations, and communities have attempted to address health workforce supply by using single solutions. In contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) promotes that rural workforce interventions require multi-dimensional approaches.
At the core of these approaches are education, training and up-skilling support strategies, which when used in combination may be called "rural pathways". These involve holistic and coordinated systems of teaching, training and supporting the rural workforce in LMICs. By focusing on selecting, training and up-skilling rural health workforce in rural communities, coupled with supporting qualified health workers for better retention, rural pathways are likely to produce a more trained and sustained rural health workforce specific to the local community needs.
The evidence base for rural pathways in LMICs has been growing steadily, as has the quality of evaluative studies produced. It is important that the evidence specific to LMICs continues to be consolidated and strengthened to support evidence-based policy and decision-making in LMICs.
In this exciting new call, we are seeking articles about pathways for health care workers in LMICs. We prefer formal research studies, but well-documented case studies or project reports serving as useful exemplars will also be considered, particularly where they describe how or why strategies worked. Pathways strategies may include selecting, educating, training and/or professionally supporting rural health care workers in LMICs.
Trained primary care teams are critical for achieving sustainable development goals. For this reason, the studies can include health care workers from a range of disciplines or existing workers who are (re-)trained or up-skilled for rural practice.
Articles need to include at least one author from LMICs where the studies are based.
Studies from countries which have had a "low and middle income or upper middle income" status according to World Bank criteria over the last 10 years will be applicable.
Rural settings will need to be defined and described for interpretation by international readers.
At the core of these approaches are education, training and up-skilling support strategies, which when used in combination may be called "rural pathways". These involve holistic and coordinated systems of teaching, training and supporting the rural workforce in LMICs. By focusing on selecting, training and up-skilling rural health workforce in rural communities, coupled with supporting qualified health workers for better retention, rural pathways are likely to produce a more trained and sustained rural health workforce specific to the local community needs.
The evidence base for rural pathways in LMICs has been growing steadily, as has the quality of evaluative studies produced. It is important that the evidence specific to LMICs continues to be consolidated and strengthened to support evidence-based policy and decision-making in LMICs.
In this exciting new call, we are seeking articles about pathways for health care workers in LMICs. We prefer formal research studies, but well-documented case studies or project reports serving as useful exemplars will also be considered, particularly where they describe how or why strategies worked. Pathways strategies may include selecting, educating, training and/or professionally supporting rural health care workers in LMICs.
Trained primary care teams are critical for achieving sustainable development goals. For this reason, the studies can include health care workers from a range of disciplines or existing workers who are (re-)trained or up-skilled for rural practice.
Articles need to include at least one author from LMICs where the studies are based.
Studies from countries which have had a "low and middle income or upper middle income" status according to World Bank criteria over the last 10 years will be applicable.
Rural settings will need to be defined and described for interpretation by international readers.
Keywords: rural training, rural education, rural professional support, rural retention, primary care, family medicine, rural generalist, community health
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