Dr Lisa McFayden, Chief Operating Officer at NSW Regional Health Partners, has co-authored an article published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) on the importance of establishing a sustainable and supportive health research environment in rural and remote areas of Australia. This article appears in the MJA’s Supplement focussing on “Building a rural and remote health workforce with place-based education.”
The article titled “Creating a sustainable and supportive health research environment across rural and remote Australia: a call to action” sheds light on the critical importance of fostering strong, collaborative and respectful partnerships among health services, government bodies and research institutions.
One of the central themes highlighted in the article is the need for increased and meaningful consumer and community involvement at every stage and facet of health research in remote and rural Australia. This inclusion of local perspectives ensures that research endeavours align with the specific needs and concerns of the communities they intend to serve.
“Undoubtably, rural and remote areas have their unique challenges, but we’ve seen many past successes in building health research capacity. With greater will, and financial and political investment, state and territory research strategies can provide the impetus and incentives for rural and remote health services and health care workers to engage in research, leading to improved healthcare outcomes,” said Dr McFayden.
To read a copy of the full article click here.
