The RHCW research portfolio is organic and will be evolving over time as research gaps and sector needs emerge.
In addition, this website will contain a repository of interesting research and strategic documents relating to Rural Health and Social Care.
Current RHCW Research Projects:
Ceredigion : A Dementia Friendly County
Click here for more details : Ceredigion : A Dementia Friendly County
Pharmacy Provision and Services across Mid Wales
Click here for more details : Mid Wales Pharmacy Provision
Dentistry Provision and Services across Mid Wales
Click here for more details : Dentistry Provision and Services across Mid Wales
MacMillan Rural Cancer Patient Experience
Click here for more details: MacMillan Rural Cancer Patient Experience
Sustainable Communities
Click here for more details : Sustainable Communities
A review and action plan for GP / Primary care provision in Mid Wales
Click here for more details : A review and action plan for GP / Primary care provision in Mid Wales
The RHCW Wellbeing Walks Series
Click here for more details : The RHCW Wellbeing Walks Series
The Community Hospitals of Rural Mid Wales
Click here for more details : The Community Hospitals of Mid Wales
Past RHCW Research Projects
On your bike
This project focussed on the association between spending time outdoors, undertaking physical activity and health in young and/ or older people through the siting of energy producing static bikes in 3 locations across Mid Wales – Lampeter, Cardigan and Aberaeron.
Click here for more details : On your bike
The Recruitment and Retention of Health and Social Care professionals in Rural Wales
This research sought to:
- Identify current gaps and future anticipated gaps in health and social care workforce recruitment and appointments in rural areas
- Identify model programs for planning workforce and recruitment needs at community, county and national levels
Develop a best practice document on recruitment and retention of health and social care professionals in rural areas
The Education, Training and Continuous Professional Development of Health and Social Care Professionals in Rural areas
This extensive area of research sought to:
- Scope the current education, training and research provision in Wales as relevant to rural health and social care
- Identify the skills required by a professional health and social care workforce to effectively work in rural areas
- Scope the current provision of skills of health and social care professionals in rural areas
- Recognise gaps in current skills / workforce provision and identify training / action required to remedy
- Research new trends in workforce development for health and social care professionals working in rural areas
Develop a best practice document on education, training and CPD for health and social care professionals working in rural areas
Nursing Workforce Challenges in Rural Areas of Developed Countries
For some health providers in developed countries, ensuring an adequate nursing workforce is exacerbated by rural geography, where chronic staff shortages, together with rural recruitment and retention difficulties, pose significant challenges in respect of their ability to deliver quality patient care.
Rural Health and Care Wales part-funded a PhD student at Aberystwyth University to undertake research on the workforce challenges facing nurses in rural areas. The research was broken down into three areas of study:
Study 1: determine if there is a relationship between where nurses work in relation to the location of their childhood upbringing and where they trained as nurses.
Study 2: examine perceptions of the barriers and facilitators facing rural nursing in Mid Wales.
Study 3: build on previous findings in order to develop a deeper understanding of the core issues identified in studies 1 and 2.
This investigation into the recruitment and retention challenges facing nurses in rural areas of Mid Wales will add to the evidence base surrounding the rural health care debate and it is anticipated that the results of this study could influence staffing delivery models on the international stage.
If you are conducting, or know of previously conducted, research that may be of interest to RHCW, contact Anna Prytherch, Head, RHCW.