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Recruitment and retention of the allied health workforce in rural and remote Australia: a scoping review

Recruitment and retention of the allied health workforce in rural and remote Australia: a scoping review

  • October 27, 2025
  • Brown E, Ould B, Brown H, Robinson L, Brown T.

Australians living in rural and remote areas experience poorer health and welfare outcomes compared to urban populations, largely due to ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining a consistent health professional workforce. While this issue has been widely studied, there remains limited research focused specifically on the factors influencing the recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in these settings. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines, examined how existing literature identifies, describes, and addresses workforce issues for allied health professionals in rural and remote Australia. Fourteen databases and grey literature sources were searched for materials published between 2013 and 2024, with quality assessed using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool and findings synthesized narratively. From 11,165 records identified, 60 sources met inclusion criteria, including 45 peer-reviewed publications spanning research articles, reports, reviews, and other materials. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and psychology were the most studied professions. The synthesis revealed five key themes: workforce opportunities and challenges; rural health career identity; workplace demands and benefits; community and family support; and connection, commitment, and collaboration. Overall, the review highlights the multifaceted factors shaping the allied health workforce in rural Australia and offers insights and recommendations for professionals, organizations, communities, and policymakers to strengthen recruitment, retention, and sustainability through innovative and contextually grounded strategies.

  • Source: Rural and Remote Health

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Coleen De Villa worked with the Development Academy of the Philippines, WHO, and the Department of Health, excelling in project coordination, research management, and training facilitation.

Dr. Sarah Larkins

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Dr Sarah Larkins is an experienced research leader, general practitioner and Dean, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, comprising disciplines of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Biomedicine and Molecular Cell Biology.  As a clinician researcher, Sarah has particular skills and experience in health systems and workforce research and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and is a recognised expert in social accountability in health professional education. Sarah is also Co-Director of the Anton Breinl Research Centre for Health Systems Strengthening. Sarah has over 180 published peer-reviewed journal articles and several book chapters, with an h-index of 37, more than 4500 citations and well over $98m in grant funding.  She currently supervises 10 HDR students with 20 PhD completions.
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Dr. Charlie Labarda

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Charlie Labarda, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine and Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of the Philippines Manila (UPM-SHS), where he has taught for more than a decade. He is a regular member of the National research Council of the Philippines, belonging to the Medical Sciences Division (Division III). Before joining the medical faculty at UPM-SHS he trained in at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital. He finished his PhD in the Department of Psychology at The University of Hong Kong, his Master in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management (high honors), Doctor of Medicine (cum laude) at the Our Lady of Fatima University-College of Medicine, and his undergraduate Social Sciences studies (cum laude) at UP Tacloban College. He was a topnotcher in the Physician Licensure Examination (8th place).

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Dr. Shafik Dharamsi

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Dr. Dharamsi is Professor and Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) in Forth Worth, Texas. He received his Ph.D. in 2003 from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. After completing his doctoral education, he worked with the Aga Khan Development Network as the Regional Director of an innovative, community-engaged early childhood development initiative in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda). He then returned to Canada to join the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on social accountability and health professions education, global health, and social determinants of health.
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Dr. Dharamsi currently serves as the Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. With 25 years of experience, he brings an interdisciplinary background and extensive international and community development experience as an educator, scholar, and administrator.

Dr. Dharamsi’s academic journey began in Canada, where he earned an interdisciplinary PhD from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and achieved tenure in the Department of Family Medicine. He also co-directed the UBC Center for International Health.

 

His work is at the intersection of public health, medical humanities, global health, ethics, and the social determinants of health.

 

Born in Tanzania, Dr. Dharamsi is a first-generation high school and college graduate. He is deeply committed to student success. He began his career as an inner-city schoolteacher.

 

His career includes leadership roles as regional director for early childhood development and poverty alleviation in East Africa with the Aga Khan Development Network, founding associate dean of the School of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, and senior advisor to the provost at New Mexico State University.

 

Dedicated to advancing public health, Dr. Dharamsi actively serves on the boards of several national and international organizations, including the ASPPH Global Engagement and Partnerships Advisory Committee.

Bjorg Pálsdóttir, MPA

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