Health Outsourcing in a Rural Context

Outsourcing is a widely applied concept and practice in many areas especially in the business and information technology (IT) sectors. It has received some consideration in health services due to skill shortages and lack of resources. This article reports on insights gained from a study on outsourcing in health services in rural Tasmania, which could have wider implications beyond the Tasmanian context. The researchers examined the views, principles and rationales on which outsourcing is based and identified related issues in the rural health context. Special attention was given to types and reasons of outsourcing, and management of outsourcing by health services.