Consumer Engagement in Rural Health Education: A Practical Checklist for Education Providers

Johanna van Heerden; Lauren Smith; Peter Irving; Priya Martin

doi:10.1921/jpts20572581

Authors

Johanna van Heerden University of Queensland https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2516-656X
Lauren Smith University of Southern Queensland, University of Queensland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9715-4329
Peter Irving University of Southern Queensland, Ninja Allied Health
Priya Martin University of Southern Queensland, University of Queensland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2092-6551

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts20572581

Keywords:

consumer engagement, rural health education, co-design, patient involvement, healthcare workforce, community engagement, checklist/practical tool

Abstract

Consumer (i.e. patient/carer) engagement in the education of healthcare students is a strategy employed by education providers to improve the real-world application of university learning. It is also equally useful in enhancing the engagement of patients and their carers in educating the future healthcare workforce. While education providers in rural settings intend to engage consumers more in the development and delivery of education, practical strategies are lacking to make this happen. To address this gap, we have developed a checklist informed by both literature and lived expertise to guide education providers in engaging with consumers.

Author Biographies

Johanna van Heerden, University of Queensland

Ms Johanna van Heerden is a medical student at The University of Queensland, enrolled in the regional Darling Downs - South West medical pathway. She is involved in research about rural health education, research and practice.

Lauren Smith, University of Southern Queensland, University of Queensland

Mrs Lauren Smith is an Adjunct Fellow at the University of Queensland, masters student at the University of Southern Queensland, and the Referral Partnerships and Integration Lead for Gather My Crew. She undertakes research that improves the quality of healthcare and the health system more broadly.

Peter Irving, University of Southern Queensland, Ninja Allied Health

Mr Peter Irving is a Consumer Representative on Occupational Therapy Advisory Committee at the University of Southern Queensland. He is also the co-founder of Ninja Allied Health.

Priya Martin, University of Southern Queensland, University of Queensland

A/Prof Priya Martin is the Discipline Lead and Program Director – Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern Queensland, and an adjunct A/Prof at the University of Queensland. She undertakes research that improves the safety and quality of healthcare propelled through exemplary academic-practice partnerships.

References

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC). (2009) Consumer engagement by the commission, Sydney: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare

Bennett‐Weston, A., Gay, S. & Anderson, E. S. (2025) Reflecting on the spectrum of involvement: How do we involve patients as partners in education? Medical education, 59, 2, 198-209. [Accessed 19 November 2025 at https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/medu.15484]. 10.1111/medu.15484

Broadhurst, T., Cha, Y. J., Bartlett, C., Van Heerden, J., Smith, L., Lizarondo, L., Mcgrail, M., Nasir, B., Hulme, A., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, S. & Martin, P. (2025) Mixed methods systematic review of consumer engagement in rural health practice, research, and education. Health promotion international, 40, 4. [Accessed 19 November 2025 at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12394724/]. 10.1093/heapro/daaf140

Cortie, C. H., Garne, D., Parker‐Newlyn, L., Ivers, R. G., Mullan, J., Mansfield, K. J. & Bonney, A. (2024) The Australian health workforce: Disproportionate shortfalls in small rural towns. The Australian journal of rural health, 32, 3, 538-546. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajr.13121]. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.13121

Dunbabin, J. & Levitt, L. (2003) Rural origin and rural medical exposure: Their impact on the rural and remote medical workforce in Australia. Rural and remote health, 3, 1, 212-212. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/212]. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH212

Fossey, E., Bonnamy, J., Dart, J., Petrakis, M., Buus, N., Soh, S.-E., Diug, B., Ayton, D. & Brand, G. (2024) What does consumer and community involvement in health-related education look like? A mixed methods study. Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 29, 4, 1199-1218. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10459-023-10301-3]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-023-10301-3

Hards, A., Cameron, A., Sullivan, E. & Kornelsen, J. (2022) Actualizing community–academic partnerships in research: A case study on rural perinatal peer support. Research involvement and engagement, 8, 1, 73-73. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40900-022-00407-0]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-022-00407-0

Hove, J., Mabetha, D., Van Der Merwe, M., Twine, R., Kahn, K., Witter, S. & D’ambruoso, L. (2023) Participatory action research to address lack of safe water, a community-nominated health priority in rural South Africa. PloS one, 18, 7, e0288524-e0288524. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0288524]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288524

Masunaga, Y., Jaiteh, F., Manneh, E., Balen, J., Okebe, J., D’alessandro, U., Nieto-Sanchez, C., De Vries, D. H., Gerrets, R., Peeters Grietens, K. & Muela Ribera, J. (2021) The community lab of ideas for health: Community-based transdisciplinary solutions in a malaria elimination trial in The Gambia. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 637714-637714. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.637714/full]. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.637714

Moore, L., Campbell, N., Bower, M., Stothers, K. & Kennedy, E. (2022) Co-designing an educational escape room : Integrating the knowledge and perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with the design of an educational activity for healthcare students. Focus on health professional education, 23, 3, 73-80. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://fohpe.org/FoHPE/article/view/533]. https://doi.org/10.11157/fohpe.v23i3.533

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). (2018) Guidelines for guidelines: Consumer involvement. National Health and Medical Research Council [Accessed 8 September 2025 at https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/guidelinesforguidelines/plan/consumer-involvement]

Oswald, A., Czupryn, J., Wiseman, J. & Snell, L. (2014) Patient-centred education: What do students think? Medical education, 48, 2, 170-180. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/medu.12287]. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12287

Parnell, T., Fiske, K., Stastny, K., Sewell, S. & Nott, M. (2023) Lived experience narratives in health professional education: Educators’ perspectives of a co-designed, online mental health education resource. BMC medical education, 23, 1, 946-946. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-023-04956-0]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04956-0

Reeder, S., Ayton, D., Teede, H. J., Skouteris, H., Simmons, M. & Jones, A. (2023) Opportunities to enhance consumer and community engagement training for researchers and healthcare providers: A qualitative study. BMJ open, 13, 9, e073114. [Accessed 14 November 2025 at https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/9/e073114]. 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073114

Spencer, J., Blackmore, D., Heard, S., Mccrorie, P., Mchaffie, D., Scherpbier, A., Gupta, T. S., Singh, K. & Southgate, L. (2000) Patient-oriented learning: A review of the role of the patient in the education of medical students. Medical education, 34, 10, 851-857. [Accessed 14 November 2025 at https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00779.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed]. 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00779.x

Strasser, R. (2010) Community engagement: A key to successful rural clinical education. Rural and remote health, 10, 3, 1543-1543. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/1543]. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH1543

Taylor, J., Carlisle, K., Farmer, J., Larkins, S., Dickson‐Swift, V. & Kenny, A. (2018) Implementation of oral health initiatives by australian rural communities: Factors for success. Health & social care in the community, 26, 1, e102-e110. [Accessed 13 July 2025 at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hsc.12483]. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12483

The University of Queensland (UQ). (2022) Community. The University of Queensland [Accessed 6 September 2025 at https://rcs.medicine.uq.edu.au/blog/2022/03/community]