Current status of tertiary healthcare services and its accessibility in rural and remote Australia: A systematic review

Abstract

The study evaluated the current state and accessibility of tertiary healthcare services in rural Australia. A systematic literature review from 2010 to 2022 was undertaken, utilising databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The PRISMA method was employed to retrieve an initial total of 4768 papers. Upon removal of 2806 duplicates and 1587 irrelevant records, 1962 articles were screened. From these, 375 were assessed for eligibility, leading to the inclusion of eleven studies in the systematic review. Criteria for exclusion included a focus on primary and secondary healthcare, absence of peer review, and unclear methodology.

A collective survey of 230,339 individuals, focusing on access to tertiary healthcare in rural and remote areas of Australia, was reported in the chosen studies. Several barriers to healthcare access for rural populations were identified, including lack of informed leadership, inadequate clinical governance, limited awareness of modern care models, suboptimal workforce planning and resource utilisation, incorrect risk perception, and insufficient community engagement.

In conclusion, there is an urgent need to address healthcare disparities and improve service accessibility in Australia's rural and remote areas.