Green, Elyce, Quilliam, Claire, Seaton, Catherine, Ferns, Jane, Ridd, Melissa, Sheepway, Lyndal, Moore, Leigh, Bailie, Jodie, Rasiah, Rohan L., Taylor, Carolyn, Fitzgerald, Kathryn W., and Debenham, James (2026) A framework for the design, delivery, and evaluation of rural health professions student placements. Advances in Health Sciences Education. (In Press)

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Abstract

High-quality rural health professions student placements are essential for preparing competent, confident, and adaptable health professionals. Despite growing international interest in rural health professions education, existing placement quality frameworks often lack the nuance required to address the complexities of rural and remote settings. This paper presents a comprehensive, evidence-informed framework for the design, delivery, and evaluation of rural health professions student placements. The framework was developed through a multi-study research program underpinned by rural standpoint theory and experiential learning principles. Drawing on data from a scoping review, a national survey and interview study, and a multiple-case Employing COnceptUal schema for policy and Translation Engagement in Research study, the framework identifies five overarching components of placement quality: foundations for engagement in rural learning; student choice, allocation, and advocacy; co-location, connection and collaboration; processes, people and pedagogy; and placement infrastructure, resources, financial support and safety. Within these components, 30 features are defined, offering actionable guidance for universities, placement providers, and rural communities. The framework supports place-based, culturally responsive and pedagogically sound placement practices, and has relevance for policy development, quality assurance and workforce strategies in rural health professions education across diverse international contexts. It also provides a foundation for continuous improvement, ensuring placements remain responsive to local needs and student experiences.

Item ID:	91216
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1573-1677
Copyright Information:	This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Date Deposited:	22 Apr 2026 02:47
FoR Codes:	39 EDUCATION > 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy > 390115 Work integrated learning (incl. internships) @ 50% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420321 Rural and remote health services @ 50%
SEO Codes:	16 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 1601 Learner and learning > 160104 Professional development and adult education @ 50% 20 HEALTH > 2005 Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health) > 200508 Rural and remote area health @ 50%
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