Strengthening health workforce

Larkins S, Johnston K, Hogenbirk JC, Willems S, Elsanousi S, Mammen M, Van Roy K, Iputo J, Cristobal F, Greenhill J, Labarda C and Neusy A-J. (2018). Practice intentions at entry to and exit form medical schools aspiring to social accountability: findings from the Training for Health Equity Network Graduate Outcome Study. BMC Medical Education. 18:261. doi:10.1186/s12909-018-1360-6

Larkins  S, Michielsen K, Iputo J, Elsanousi S, Mammen M, Graves L, Willems S, Cristobal F, Samson R, Ellaway R, Ross S, Johnston K, Derese A, Neusy A-J. (2015) Impact of selection strategies on representation of underserved populations and intention to practise: international findings. Medical Education. 49(1):60-72. doi: 10.1111/medu.12518

Investigators: Associate Professor Ines Zuchowski, Dr Grace Jefferson, Dr Albert Kuruvila

Funding: North Queensland Primary Health Network

This project is based on a pilot project funded by NQPHN between 2021-2022. Associate Professor Ines Zuchowski successfully led research to develop, implement and evaluate a GP social work field education placement curriculum for students. Social work student placements in GP practices offered a rich learning opportunity for students to earn about health settings, positive patient outcomes and to increase GPs’ understanding of social work practice and its usefulness to primary health care (Zuchowski et al. 2023a;b,c). As part of the pilot research, 7 social work students completed their placements in Townsville GP practices in 2022 (Zuchowski et al., 2023b). This innovative project offers opportunities to address the concerns of the struggling primary health care system. Students assisted patients with a range of interventions. The research findings identified the enabling factors of social work student engagement in General Practice  and highlighted the positive student learning outcomes and their contributions to patients. The most common identified area of practice in the monthly reporting forms was ageing, followed by disability, caring, mental health, families, finances and veterans. This research also established that having an experienced social work practitioner in the clinic with the students would improve students’ experience and optimise the social work services available to patients of the clinic (Zuchowski et al. 2023b,c).

In 2023, NQPHN funded JCU to expand the project to employ social workers initially in five clinics across Townsville and Cairns. Further funding was added to include a 6th clinic after expressions of interests were received. Two clinics decided to share one subsidy and a social worker, but dropped off the project after a month. Another clinic joined later on, thus overall, eight clinics were connected with the project. Social workers were employed part-time to provide social work services to patients and to supervise and support social work student placements. Funding covered co-payments to clinics to employ a social worker for one year at a minimum of 0.5 full-time equivalent, social worker supervision payments, a research component for data collection, analysis and dissemination and other project costs. A study protocol was developed and published, suggesting that social workers are well placed to provide a range of interventions in a GP setting that can improve patient outcomes.

Zuchowski, I., Kuruvila, A., Sen Gupta, T. &Wielandt, R. (2025). Integrating social workers in Australian primary health care settings. Journal of Integrated Care 2025; 33 (5): 72–85. https://doi.org/10.1108/JICA-04-2025-0027

Investigator: Associate Professor Ines Zuchowski

Partners: Susanne LeBoutillier, Angela How - South Brisbane Primary Health Network & Donna McAuliffe - Griffith University

Funding:  South Brisbane Primary Health Network

This research aims to integrate social workers into general practice teams to improve care coordination and reduce the burden of psychosocial issues presented to General Practitioners (GPs) by providing stronger links to social worker services. This proof-of-concept project will test three different models of integrating social workers into general practice teams in catchments with different local needs in the Queensland, Australia,  Brisbane South Primary Health Network area.

LeBoutillier, S., Zuchowski, I., How, A. & McAuliffe, D. (2026). Social work practice models in general practice in Australia: Protocol of an intervention study. Internatial Journal of Qualitative Methods, 25: 1-8, https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069251414235

Investigators: Associate Professor Ines Zuchowski, Teagan Pascoe, Kehinde Obamiro

Partner: Dr Asmita Mudhohar

The project aimed to evaluate multidisciplinary allied health student placements co-located within a rural general practice clinic. Occupational therapy, social work and speech pathology placement students under discipline-specific supervision are supported to  lead allied health clinic model servicing MMM 4–6 regions in Queensland, servicing clients with diverse health needs.

Pascoe, T.; Mudholkar, A; Burke, S.,  Obamiro, K. & Zuchowski, I. (2025). Allied Health student led clinics: An opportunity for Workforce development. Australian Journal of Rural Health,33:e70034  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajr.70034

Investigators: Selina Taylor and Beverley D Glass

Access to timely and effective mental health care remains a persistent challenge across Australia, with rural and remote communities bearing a disproportionate burden.  While nearly half of all Australians are expected to experience a mental health condition during their lifetime, individuals living in non-metropolitan regions frequently face reduced access to appropriate care . Compared to their urban counterparts, rural Australians experience higher rates of psychological distress, suicide, and untreated mental illness. These disparities are influenced by a range of structural and contextual factors, including workforce shortages, geographic isolation, long wait times, and ongoing stigma surrounding mental illness.

Globally, rural populations in countries such as Canada, the United States, and New Zealand face similar inequities in access and outcomes, highlighting the widespread nature of this issue . As a result, people often turn to primary healthcare providers as their first, and sometimes only, point of contact for mental health support and continuity of care. This study aim to explore the pharmacist’s role in providing mental health care in rural and remote communities from the perspective of both pharmacists and consumers.

Investigators: Selina Taylor and Beverley D Glass

Rural and remote Australians experience persistent health inequities due to geographic isolation, workforce shortage and fragmented service delivery. Collaborative, patient-centred care is essential, yet carer and consumer perspectives are under‑represented.

Objective
To explore patient-centered, team-based care in rural and remote settings, focusing on interdisciplinary availability, informal caregiving role, and barriers to effective communication