Enhancing Access to Health Workers in Remote Areas Using the Modified Monash Model: Australia's Experience and Implications for China

Abstract

In Australia, 28% of the population live in remote and rural areas, where they face many health service utilization challenges due to geographical conditions, and generally have lower health status than those living in coastal metropolitan areas. To address the challenges of accessing health services in remote and rural areas, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has introduced a geographical classification system to help healthcare providers to improve healthcare services since 1994, and regularly updated the system to adapt to the latest sociodemographic and healthcare status, as well as formulated a range of complementary health policies to support rural and remote areas. From 2018, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has adopted a new classification standard, the Modified Monash Model. We reviewed Australia's practices and concluded that, to better deliver high-quality and accessible healthcare services to areas with weak healthcare resources in China, Australia's experience could be used for reference, during taking actions to promote and refine the geographic classification system for healthcare services in a timely manner, formulating policies supporting the enhancement of access to health workers systematically, and taking advantage of modern, high and new technologies.

Keywords

• rural and remote areas|rural health|resource allocation|geographical classification|health services accessibility|health equity|health policy|australia