TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimising remote health workforce retention
T2 - protocol for a program of research
AU - Veginadu, Prabhakar
AU - Russell, Deborah J.
AU - Mathew, Supriya
AU - Robinson, April
AU - DeMasi, Karrina
AU - Zhao, Yuejen
AU - Ramjan, Mark
AU - Jones, Michael P.
AU - Boffa, John
AU - Williams, Renee
AU - Taylor, Sean
AU - Menezes, Leander
AU - Cooney, Sinon
AU - Lawrence, Kristal
AU - Humphreys, John
AU - Wakerman, John
AU - Cass, Alan
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - BACKGROUND: Nowhere is optimising healthcare staff retention more important than in primary health care (PHC) settings in remote Australia, where there are unacceptably high rates of staff burnout and turnover. Ensuing consequences for the remote health services and the community are acute - staffing shortfalls in clinics; organisational instability; excessive costs associated with frequent staff recruitment and orientation; diminished access to PHC for patients in need; and lack of continuity of patient care; all of which further entrench poor health outcomes for the community. Optimising remote healthcare staff retention is critical in order to provide high quality and continued PHC. Currently, however, there is paucity of knowledge to inform targeted and effective retention strategies in remote health services. This research program seeks to develop a stronger evidence base to understand (i) what retention strategies are effective in improving morale, job satisfaction, intention to remain in the job, and consequent length of service for remote healthcare staff; (ii) how best to 'bundle' these strategies for different health workforce groups; and (iii) how these 'bundles' work in different service contexts. METHODS: This paper describes a five-year implementation research program in partnership with twelve remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ATSICCHS) in the Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia. Overall methodology follows a participatory action research approach which incorporates co-design and realist elements. The program comprises two broad phases involving evidence consolidation and synthesis (Phase 1), and co-design, implementation, and prospective evaluation of 'bundles' of retention strategies (Phase 2) to improve retention of healthcare staff in participating ATSICCHSs. DISCUSSION: This innovative research program has the potential to develop a comprehensive evidence base required to optimise health workforce retention in remote health services. This new evidence will strengthen understanding of what 'bundles' of retention strategies are effective, for which groups of employees, and how they work to improve staff retention.
AB - BACKGROUND: Nowhere is optimising healthcare staff retention more important than in primary health care (PHC) settings in remote Australia, where there are unacceptably high rates of staff burnout and turnover. Ensuing consequences for the remote health services and the community are acute - staffing shortfalls in clinics; organisational instability; excessive costs associated with frequent staff recruitment and orientation; diminished access to PHC for patients in need; and lack of continuity of patient care; all of which further entrench poor health outcomes for the community. Optimising remote healthcare staff retention is critical in order to provide high quality and continued PHC. Currently, however, there is paucity of knowledge to inform targeted and effective retention strategies in remote health services. This research program seeks to develop a stronger evidence base to understand (i) what retention strategies are effective in improving morale, job satisfaction, intention to remain in the job, and consequent length of service for remote healthcare staff; (ii) how best to 'bundle' these strategies for different health workforce groups; and (iii) how these 'bundles' work in different service contexts. METHODS: This paper describes a five-year implementation research program in partnership with twelve remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ATSICCHS) in the Northern Territory and Queensland, Australia. Overall methodology follows a participatory action research approach which incorporates co-design and realist elements. The program comprises two broad phases involving evidence consolidation and synthesis (Phase 1), and co-design, implementation, and prospective evaluation of 'bundles' of retention strategies (Phase 2) to improve retention of healthcare staff in participating ATSICCHSs. DISCUSSION: This innovative research program has the potential to develop a comprehensive evidence base required to optimise health workforce retention in remote health services. This new evidence will strengthen understanding of what 'bundles' of retention strategies are effective, for which groups of employees, and how they work to improve staff retention.
KW - Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services
KW - Health workforce
KW - Participatory action research
KW - Personnel turnover
KW - Realist evaluation
KW - Remote health
KW - Retention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85205336115&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12913-024-11629-1
DO - 10.1186/s12913-024-11629-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 39334066
AN - SCOPUS:85205336115
SN - 1472-6963
VL - 24
SP - 1
EP - 9
JO - BMC Health Services Research
JF - BMC Health Services Research
IS - 1
M1 - 1115
ER -