Experiences of working as early career allied health professionals and doctors in rural and remote environments: a qualitative systematic review protocol

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this review is to investigate the experiences of working as an early career allied health professional or doctor, and the factors that influence this experience in rural or remote environments. Introduction: Recruitment and retention of health professionals in rural and remote areas is challenging, with a range of strategies used to attract and retain them, which vary by profession and jurisdiction. Workforce recommendations are often based on the collective experience of all health professions. This review will explore the experiences of early career allied health professionals and doctors and compare and synthesize the evidence in order to better understand the individual and collective factors to generate relevant recommendations. Inclusion criteria: This review will consider qualitative studies that include early career allied health professionals’ or doctors’ experiences of working in rural or remote areas and the personal and professional factors that impact on this experience. Methods: CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Informit, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Google Scholar, and WorldWideScience.org will be searched to identify published and unpublished studies. Studies published since 2000 in English will be considered for the review. Identified studies will be screened for inclusion in the review by two independent reviewers. Studies for inclusion will be critically appraised by two independent reviewers. Data will be extracted using a standardized tool and reviewers will discuss any disagreements. Data synthesis will adhere to the meta-aggregative approach to categorize findings. The categories will be synthesized into synthesized findings that can be applied as evidence-based recommendations. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42021223187

Experiences of working as early career allied health professionals and doctors in rural and remote environments: a qualitative systematic review

“…The majority of the studies were Australian [ 24 ], two were from Scotland and one each from Wales, Canada and New Zealand. Three studies reported including participants from remote areas and all papers included rural contexts.…”

“…The systematic review was performed in accordance with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence [ 23 ]. The protocol was published [ 24 ] and the review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021223187). Theo Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) [ 25 ] guidance was adhered to throughout this review.…”

Experiences of working as early career allied health professionals and doctors in rural and remote environments: a qualitative systematic review

“…The systematic review was performed in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence (24). The protocol was published (25) and the review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021223187). We have adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) (26) guidance throughout this review.…”