Co-designing community-focused rural placements for collaborative practice.

Area of Science:

• Rural Health
• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Vulnerable rural populations face significant allied health service gaps.
• Rural clinical placements present missed opportunities for collaborative practice.
• University Departments of Rural Health are key in addressing these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a transdisciplinary placement model for rural health.
• To align rural health education with service provision.
• To enhance collaborative practice and social accountability among health profession students.

Main Methods:

• A transdisciplinary placement model was developed, incorporating practice theory.
• The model includes pre-placement preparation, student support, and host site engagement.
• A structured evaluation strategy was implemented to assess the model's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The model facilitates service provision and student learning in rural settings.
• Co-design of the model enhances students' sense of social accountability.
• The model has been piloted in a remote community in New South Wales.

Conclusions:

• Greater alignment between rural health education and practice is crucial.
• The developed placement model shows promise in achieving service and learning goals.
• Further cross-sector discussion and evaluation are needed for wider adoption and alignment with community needs.