Table 1.
Search strategy and inclusion criteria.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Search period | The search was limited to literature published between 1st January 1998 and 30th October 2018 |
| Databases | Six databases were chosen based on scope and relevance of literature content: Medline, Social Science Citation Index, CINAHL, ERIC, Rural and Remote Health, Informit Health Collection, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews. The search strategy included a Boolean search using the three sets of search terms |
| Additional sources | Other literature was also identified from snowballing, hand searching and directly identified by the Steering Committee and an Expert Reference Group |
| Sensitivity | A sensitivity analysis of the search strategy was performed, ensuring that results included known or key texts identified by steering committee members |
| Search concepts | The concepts applied to the search were based on the review question: What are the main elements of rural pathways to train and support the rural workforce in LMIC and what are their outcomes? What contextual factors influence implementation of rural pathways in LMIC to inform a Checklist for these countries? Are there any vignettes of best practice models that would support reflection? Concept 1: Rural or remote. Concept 2: “health work*” or doctor OR “general practitioner” OR “physician OR nurse” OR “nurse practitioner” OR “rural generalist” OR “rural nurse” OR “allied health” OR dentist OR specialist OR “community health worker” OR “family physician” OR “family doctor” OR “health prof*” OR “clinical officer” OR “clinical assistant” OR “health assistant” OR “mid-level worker.” Concept 3 train* OR curricul* OR develop* OR course OR placement OR immersion OR skill OR education OR qualification OR competen* OR recruit* OR retention) |
| Inclusion criteria | Rural or remote Based in a LMIC (or literature review which incorporated LMICs) (19) About any type of health workers in frontline clinical services (excluding non-clinical or liaison roles) Outcomes of any aspect of rural pathways to develop the capacity, skills, scope or distribution of the rural workforce based on the WHO framework (themes of education and training and professionally supportive environment) (7) 1998–2018 English, Spanish, or French |
| Exclusion criteria | High-income country consistently over last 20 years No outcomes reported—discussion of an intervention only or broadly about human resource statistics rather than rural pipeline LMIC-based training for developing health workers from high-income countries Technological interventions but not specific to supporting rural workforce in LMIC setting Not about rural pathways for the growth and development of the rural workforce <15 people in sample About worker satisfaction with limited breakdown to inform supportive environment factors About intention for rural practice if not linked to a rural pathways factor (such as broad surveys of University student cohorts without delineating relationship to rural training) Rural training was <3 weeks duration Full text not available (via find full text using Endnote, Google or direct library searching) |