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WHRN2026
Innovating for Health Equity: Bridging Gaps in Rural healthcare
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Let's work together to strengthen Rural Health

Rural health research networks, supported by corporate and community partnerships, are essential for addressing the health disparities faced by rural and remote populations. 

By combining resources, enhancing communication, ensuring sustainability, and building local research capacity, these collaborations can lead to significant improvements in health outcomes for individuals living in rural communities.

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The challenge we face:

Approximately 30% of Australians live in rural and remote areas

Australians living in rural and remote areas generally have poorer health than their urban counterparts

People living in rural and remote areas have less access to health professionals and services

Funding for research specifically aimed to deliver health benefits to Australians living in rural and remote areas is significantly under representative of the need

Barclay, L., Phillips, A., & Lyle, D. (2023). Rural and remote health research: Does the investment match the need? Rural and Remote Health, 23(1), 1-12.

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Workshop:

Doing research that matters: How to plan program evaluation in rural health services

Work through a six step model for planning a program evaluation using a case study of the ‘Flying Start’ health program. 

More details coming soon…

Presenter: Matt Thomas

Matt Thomas is a clinical psychologist working in the role of Principal Practice Lead with Marathon Health, based in Bathurst, NSW. His role includes leading research activities focussed on evaluation of innovative rural health services and rural health workforce development.  He is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at Charles Sturt University and in the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of NSW.

Workshop:

Innovating together: A practical workshop on co-designing for rural health research

More details coming soon…

Presenters:

Workshop:

Strengthening the Rural Health Workforce Through Research

More details coming soon…

Presenters:
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Workshop:

Things We Have Learnt the Hard Way: An Introduction to Mental Health Research for New Starters

Mental health research is full of unexpected challenges. In this interactive workshop, we’ll discuss some of the common pitfalls and practical solutions we’ve learned through experience. it focuses on the practical things that don’t make it into research methods textbooks. Join us to explore literacy-friendly participant information sheets, distress and wellbeing protocols, reducing research burden on participants and clinicians, recruiting realistic samples in rural communities, and choosing the right outcome measures. Bring your questions and examples from your own projects. Experienced researchers are encouraged to come along and share their learnings too.
Presenters: Professor Julaine Allan, Dr Nicole Snowdon, Dr Kate Freire

Plenary Session:

Details coming soon….

Networking Session:

In this session, you’ll work your way through a fun set of questions to discover new contacts and connections. It’s a networking adventure, with maps of where you travelled – and maybe even some treasure – at the end.

You’ll need to bring your mobile phone along to this session to take part.

 

Dr Anthony Brown

Dr. Anthony Brown is the Research Manager at Health Consumers NSW (HCNSW). HCNSW is the peak consumer group in the state, it is an independent, membership-based charity that works to ensure that health consumers (patients, carers, and families) are involved in the decisions that impact on them. Growing up in the Central West has given Anthony a strong connection to regional communities and a firsthand understanding of the factors that influence health and wellbeing outside major cities. Anthony is both a strong advocate for consumer involvement in research and an experienced researcher. Before joining HCNSW he was the Manager of the Men’s Health Information and Resource Centre at the University of Western Sydney, where he completed a doctorate (PhD) looking at retired men’s community engagement.

Dr Andrew Goodman

Dr Andrew Goodman is an Aboriginal man from Iningai Country in Queensland. Prior to his PhD, Dr Goodman spent more than 13 years as an Indigenous Healthcare Worker in Queensland, focusing on cardiac and healthcare services with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Currently, he is a Research Scientist with CSIROs digital health program, where he leads research initiatives focused on building the evidence base for digital health technologies that align with the priorities, interests, and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Central to his approach is the principle of “Relationships before Partnerships,” which emphasises trust, reciprocity, and accountability as the foundation for meaningful collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations.