Creating network-based innovations for improving the supply and welfare of rural health professionals

Deficiencies in health and other professional services increase roughly proportionately with distance from urban centres, and significantly with indigenous status. What is far less clear is how to reduce this disadvantage. This paper presents an in-depth scoping study using a 'creative problem solving' mode of action research to seek new solutions. It included detailed review of the literature on rural practice across a range of professions, a qualitative survey, a problem-solution focused workshop involving representatives of various professions and refinement of the research issues by a cross-disciplinary team.