Global best practices in recruiting and retaining healthcare workers in rural areas (literature review)

Abstract

A significant issue for global healthcare is recruitment and retention of doctors and nurses, especially in rural areas. It threatens continuity and accessibility of medical care for a large segment of the population. The aim of this article was to summarize currently available data on healthcare recruitment practices, particularly in rural areas, and key factors influencing retention of healthcare professionals. This will allow to develop evidence-based strategies for recruitment and retention of healthcare workers in the Russian Federation and reduce personnel shortage. International and Russian full-text articles were searched for in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and eLibrary databases. All the studied factors influencing recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in rural areas were grouped into four main categories: financial, social, professional, and personal. Modern healthcare recruitment strategies were divided into three groups: financial, organizational, and instructional. The review results suggest that the Russian Federation uses the majority of global strategies to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in rural areas. However, there are some activities that have not been adopted in our country. They may be included in healthcare management practices to increase the effectiveness of regional programs for development of human capital in healthcare.