Optimising remote health workforce retention: protocol for a program of research.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Rural Health
• Workforce Management

Background:

• Remote Australian primary health care (PHC) settings face critical staff burnout and turnover.
• High staff turnover leads to service instability, increased costs, and diminished patient care continuity.
• There is a significant knowledge gap regarding effective retention strategies for remote healthcare staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a robust evidence base for optimizing healthcare staff retention in remote settings.
• To identify effective retention strategies that improve staff morale, job satisfaction, and length of service.
• To determine optimal 'bundling' of strategies for different workforce groups and service contexts.

Main Methods:

• A five-year implementation research program in partnership with twelve remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ATSICCHS).
• Utilizes a participatory action research approach with co-design and realist elements.
• Involves evidence consolidation, synthesis, co-design, implementation, and prospective evaluation of retention strategy 'bundles'.

Main Results:

• The research program is designed to generate a comprehensive evidence base on healthcare staff retention.
• It will identify effective 'bundles' of retention strategies tailored for remote health services.
• The study will elucidate how these strategies impact different employee groups and service contexts.

Conclusions:

• This research program offers a novel approach to address critical staff retention issues in remote healthcare.
• It has the potential to significantly improve the provision of high-quality, continuous primary health care in underserved areas.
• The findings will inform targeted, evidence-based interventions to enhance healthcare workforce stability in remote Australia.