Investing in longitudinal studies of primary healthcare: what can we learn about service performance, sustainability and quality?

Bernadette Ward

qualifications: PhD

contribution: wrote the first draft, contributed to drafts, original concept

position: Senior research fellow

Australia

Dr Bernadette Ward is a researcher with interests in rural and remote primary health care systems, adolescent alcohol use and research capacity building.

Penny Buykx

qualifications: PhD

contribution: original concept, contributed to drafts, collected data

position: Senior research fellow

Australia

Research interests include mental health, service systems, and clinical psychology practice

Rachel Tham

qualifications: MPH

contribution: literature review, supplied data, contributed to drafts

position: Research fellow

Australia

Rural health Oral health primary health care climate change

Leigh Kinsman

qualifications: PhD

contribution: contributed to drafts, original concept

position: Associate professor

Australia

John Humphreys

qualifications: PhD

contribution: original concept, contributed to drafts

position: Emeritus professor

Australia

Current research interests include:

• the social and spatial patterns of need for health related services in rural areas,
• rural health workforce recruitment and retention,
• the role and contribution of services to the health and wellbeing of communities,
• the provision of appropriate education, training and support for rural health workers and implementation of innovative service delivery models in order to provide sustainable health care in small rural and remote communities,
• the evaluation of rural health care planning and policies, and
• rural community development.