Table 1 The inclusion/exclusion criteria applied to the screening of the papers for this review
From: International approaches to rural generalist medicine: a scoping review
Criterion | Inclusion | Exclusion |
|---|---|---|
Time period | January 1988 to April 2017 | Studies outside of these dates |
Language | English | Non-English studies |
Type of article | No limits were placed on the literature type | N/A |
Study focus | Rural medical generalism: the definition and scope of rural medical generalists, the RMG training pathway, enablers and barriers to practise and recommendations for reform Rural generalism definition as general practitioner/family practitioner/family physician in rural areas with reference to provision of primary and emergency care and one or more specialised practice The definition of rural generalist medicine involves an inclusive use of the term ‘rural’, to reflect the context of the specific research setting | Articles on rural generalism that did not meet the specific definition of this paper Disciplines outside of medicine (allied health, nursing and health support roles) Rural specialist physicians including ‘generalist specialists’ Articles with a focus only on a specific advanced skill (e.g. obstetrics) unless it was examined in the context of rural generalism Disease specific research |
Literature focus | Articles with specific reference to the development of rural medical generalism and/or rurally based general practitioners, family practitioners, primary health medical practitioners or family physicians with specialised (procedural or non-procedural) skills | Articles that discussed rural health, rural medicine and/or rural GPs but without reference to rural medical generalism as defined here |
Population and sample | Rurally based medical generalists as rural GPs/primary medical care providers with specialised skills (including rural GP proceduralists) | Other GPs and/or medical practitioners outside of the definition of rural medical generalist |