Identifying the major issues of rural osteopathic practice from the practitioner's perspective

The lack of appropriate healthcare services in rural areas has been well documented. As osteopaths are primary care practitioners, they can play a significant role in primary health care in geographic areas where there is a shortage of health care practitioners. Until now, there has been no research exploring the background of rural osteopaths in Australia and the specific issues of rural osteopathic practice. The aim of this research was to identify the major issues as described by rural osteopathic practitioners themselves. A subsidiary aim was to explore whether there was an association between a rural background and a rural ostepath's coice to practice in a rural area. Findings indicate that rural osteopaths are more likely to be male, and generally older than their counterparts in the urban areas, as well as most other rural AHPs. The rural osteopathic workforce is still relatively inexperienced in rural osteopathy, with over 57% of rural osteopaths having been in rural practice for less than 10 years. Professional satisfaction in the variety of work, autonomy of practice, social and personal satisfaction, the feeling of doing an important job, and the community of care given to patients were all seen as benefits of rural practice. This minor thesis was written by a post-graduate student as part of the requirements of the Master of Health Science (Osteopathy) program