Access and Equity in Australian Rural Health Services

Urban and rural differences in service distribution, access, and health outcomes are problematic in many countries, with generally worse indicators in rural and remote regions. Differential health access and outcomes between ‘the city and the bush’ is a political issue in Australia. Health services increasingly have been centralized in regional and metropolitan centres, which increases the need to fund and deliver specifically rural services to combat locational disadvantage. These rural programmes include a range of outreach and mobile services, multipurpose centres with pooled funding,...

Urban and rural differences in service distribution, access, and health outcomes are problematic in many countries, with generally worse indicators in rural and remote regions. Differential health access and outcomes between ‘the city and the bush’ is a political issue in Australia. Health services increasingly have been centralized in regional and metropolitan centres, which increases the need to fund and deliver specifically rural services to combat locational disadvantage. These rural programmes include a range of outreach and mobile services, multipurpose centres with pooled funding, transport arrangements, training and incentives for rural professionals, and e-health services such as telemedicine.