Rural Workforce Drought: Spatial Analysis Reveals Persistent Maldistribution of the Australian Occupational Therapy Workforce From 2013 to 2021
Persistent maldistribution of the OT workforce across remoteness levels reflects structural inequities unlikely to resolve through organic growth. Current rural workforce strategies appear insufficient to address geographic and cultural disparities. Targeted investment in rural workforce development, including incentives and pipeline models are likely required to support equitable availability of OT services.
Authors
- Karen Hayes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3421-7406)
- Rosalind Bye (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7539-5930)
- Kristy Coxon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4820-0397)
- Simon McDonald (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8104-3225)
- Liz Thyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8144-4441)
Institutions
- Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals (AU)
- Translational Research Institute (AU)
- Charles Sturt University (AU)
- Western Sydney University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Australian Journal of Rural Health
- Published
- 2025-10-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.70101
- Primary Topic
- Global Health Workforce Issues
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00