In-Between Policy Vision and Practical Realities of Primary Healthcare: A Case Study in Rural Northern Sweden

Subjecting national health policy-making to scrutiny by different stakeholders through the use of rural proofing can lead to a more deliberate and impactful implementation of policies. Rural proofing facilitates the pre-emptive identification of potential shortcomings, thereby enabling the formulation of necessary adjustments that resonate with local needs. This study shows apparent misalignments between the national vision and the practical reality in rural areas, therefore calling for greater efforts to include rural perspectives in national policy-making.