This presents a need for the city to invest in these underserviced areas, so as to retain personal investment.
The goal of this initiative was to encourage new FPs to practice in underserviced areas in the province.
Currently these underserviced areas are classified based on population (count and density), travel time to a basic referral centre, and travel time to an advanced referral centre [ 19].
Strategies, such as educational interventions [ 10], financial incentives, regulations, and practice support interventions [ 11], have been used to attract health professionals to work in rural and underserviced areas.
This is important information to support the development of FM training programs in more remote or underserviced areas of the province.
ICIs have been linked with future practice patterns, including work in public health, multi-cultural settings and underserviced areas within local community [ 7, 10, 14].
Outreach services (specialist and allied health) were established in underserviced areas (table 1)—'availability and accommodation' resulting in improved access in some sites.
Such a mailed-in blood collection strategy could be especially beneficial in medically underserviced areas and among patients unable or reluctant to participate in regular follow-up because of time constraints or competing responsibilities.
The priority for improving workforce distribution in Australia centres on the underserviced areas of rural and remote health, aged care, mental health, primary health care, community based services, and oral health, as well as the emerging private sector [ 2, 24].
