Improving rural and remote health workforce retention amid global workforce shortages: a scoping review of evaluated workforce interventions

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of a global body of scholarly and industry (grey) literature for evidence of implemented and evaluated interventions to identify best practice workforce retention strategies for organisations providing health services in rural and remote areas.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review was conducted of the scholarly and grey literature by two independent researchers. This comprised a search of four scholarly databases, and a Google and website search for grey literature. Quality checks were conducted, and a total of 15 documents were included in the literature review. Using the World Health Organisation’s categories of workforce intervention (regulatory, education, financial incentives, personal and professional support), the documents were analysed to identify effective workforce interventions.FindingsThe literature review found evidence of regulatory impacts as well as organisation-level evaluated workforce interventions for education-to-employment pathways (education), remuneration programs (financial incentives) and working and living conditions (personal and professional support) but seldom provided insight into how successful interventions were implemented or evaluated at the organisational level. Further, there was an absence of scholarship contributing to the development of empirical evidence to inform organisations about designing, implementing and evaluating workforce strategies to improve health workforce retention in rural and remote communities.Originality/valueFew studies have focused on evidence-based organisation-level interventions to improve rural and remote workforce sustainability. This article offers insights to shape future intervention implementation and evaluation research for rural and remote health workforce sustainability.