Physiotherapy in rural and regional Australia

Abstract

Objective: To inform rural physiotherapy recruitment and retention strategies by describing physiotherapists in the Shepparton region: reasons for career choice, education and physiotherapy professional issues. Design: Survey. Setting: Health service providers. Participants: Practising and non-practising physiotherapists. Main outcome measure: Survey responses. Results: Survey response rate 79%. Eighty four physiotherapists (79 practicing and 5 non-practicing; 80% female) clustered in main regional centres responded. Two-thirds worked part-time with most in the public sector (70%), with one third holding more than one position. One-third considered themselves generalists and one-third specia..