Overview
Background
Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is the Head of Regional Training Hubs research at UQ’s Rural Clinical School. Joining UQ in Nov 2017, he is based at the Rockhampton Clinical Unit, and he is chair of the research and evaluation working group of UQ’s Regional Medical Pathway as well as chair of UQ RCS’s medical graduate cohort longitudinal tracking study (UQ MediCoS).
Matthew has worked in the university sector for over 20 years, working mostly as a researcher in rural health. He was originally trained as a statistician, expanding his skills across GIS and software development, completing his PhD in 2008. He has been lead biostatistician on 3 large NHMRC-funded RCTs that are published in the world-leading general medical journal, the Lancet. Matthew’s research is mostly underpinned by the overall objective of improved access to health care for rural populations, mainly focused in the medical sector. He has a unique blend of ‘generalist’ research skills and experience across the disciplines of statistics, geography, rural health, econometrics, public health and clinical research.
Matthew has a particular interest in the ongoing concerns with medical workforce distribution, connecting that through his research and evaluation to health policies, training pathways and healthcare systems. To date he has been a chief investigator on two separate Centres of Research Excellence, one on medical workforce dynamics and the other on rural and remote primary health care access. He has also co-researched with various GP training organisations, specialty colleges, rural workforce agencies, as well as state and commonwealth health departments
Availability
- Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science, University of Melbourne
- Graduate Diploma in Information Technology (Software Development), Swinburne University of Technology
- Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University
Research interests
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Rural medical workforce training
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Workforce distribution
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Access to health care
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Rural health workforce policy
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Health services research
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GIS methodologies in health
Research impacts
Matthew has over 130 peer reviewed journal publications. He is globally recognised for his research of medical workforce training and distributional outcomes, which directly impacts healthcare access for rural populations. He was a lead investigator on the completed Centre of Research Excellence in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care, under which he developed improved measures of healthcare access, notably producing the national Index of Access.
He was also a chief investigator of the NHMRC-funded Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) longitudinal study of doctors (data collected 2008-18), under which he led the rural supply and distribution research theme. These data are still used as key source of national evidence of the medical workforce. In 2018, the MABEL project was awarded the Best Impact Prize from the Health Services Research Association of Australia and New Zealand, primarily due to the body of work from the rural theme. A key outcome of MABEL was the Modified Monash Model (MMM) classification, which he co-developed with Emeritus Prof John Humphreys. From 2015, the MMM has been adopted to underpin most Commonwealth Department of Health policies in rural health.
Works
Search Professor Matthew McGrail’s works on UQ eSpace
2022
Journal Article
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on medical student placements in rural Queensland: A survey study
Martin, Priya, McGrail, Matthew, Fox, Jordan, Partanen, Riitta and Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2022). Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on medical student placements in rural Queensland: A survey study. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 30 (4), 478-487. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12862
2022
Journal Article
Physician competition and low-value health care
Scott, Anthony, Li, Jinhu, Gravelle, Hugh and McGrail, Matthew (2022). Physician competition and low-value health care. American Journal of Health Economics, 8 (2), 252-274. doi: 10.1086/718509
2022
Journal Article
Referral patterns, disease progression and impact of the kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) in a Queensland Chronic Kidney Disease Registry (CKD.QLD) cohort: a study protocol
Mutatiri, Clyson, Ratsch, Angela, McGrail, Matthew R., Venuthurupalli, Sree and Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2022). Referral patterns, disease progression and impact of the kidney failure risk equation (KFRE) in a Queensland Chronic Kidney Disease Registry (CKD.QLD) cohort: a study protocol. BMJ Open, 12 (2), e052790. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052790
2021
Journal Article
Exploring doctors’ emerging commitment to rural and general practice roles over their early career
McGrail, Matthew, O’Sullivan, Belinda, Gurney, Tiana, Eley, Diann and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2021). Exploring doctors’ emerging commitment to rural and general practice roles over their early career. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (22) 11835, 11835. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182211835
2021
Journal Article
Increasing doctors working in specific rural regions through selection from and training in the same region: national evidence from Australia
McGrail, Matthew R. and O’Sullivan, Belinda G. (2021). Increasing doctors working in specific rural regions through selection from and training in the same region: national evidence from Australia. Human Resources for Health, 19 (1) 132, 132. doi: 10.1186/s12960-021-00678-w
2021
Journal Article
Barriers to getting into postgraduate specialty training for junior Australian doctors: An interview-based study
O’Sullivan, Belinda, McGrail, Matthew, Gurney, Tiana and Martin, Priya (2021). Barriers to getting into postgraduate specialty training for junior Australian doctors: An interview-based study. PLoS One, 16 (10) e0258584, e0258584. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258584
2021
Journal Article
Responsive policies needed to secure rural supply from increasing female doctors: A perspective
O'Sullivan, Belinda, McGrail, Matthew and May, Jennifer (2021). Responsive policies needed to secure rural supply from increasing female doctors: A perspective. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 37 (1), 40-49. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3363
2021
Journal Article
How rural immersion training influences rural work orientation of medical students: theory building through realist evaluation
Bingham, Amie, O’Sullivan, Belinda, Couch, Danielle, Cresser, Samuel, McGrail, Matthew and Major, Laura (2021). How rural immersion training influences rural work orientation of medical students: theory building through realist evaluation. Medical Teacher, 43 (12), 1-8. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2021.1948520
2021
Journal Article
Characterising Australia’s rural specialist physician workforce: the professional profile and professional satisfaction of junior doctors and consultants
McGrail, Matthew R., Adegbija, Odewumi and Kondalsamy- Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2021). Characterising Australia’s rural specialist physician workforce: the professional profile and professional satisfaction of junior doctors and consultants. Medical Journal of Australia, 215 (S1), S7-S14. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51122
2021
Journal Article
Editorial: Effective strategies to develop rural health workforce in low and middle-income countries (LMICs)
O'Sullivan, Belinda Gabrielle, Couper, Ian, Kumar, Pratyush and McGrail, Matthew Richard (2021). Editorial: Effective strategies to develop rural health workforce in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Frontiers in Public Health, 9 702362, 702362. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.702362
2021
Journal Article
Effect of infusion set replacement intervals on catheter-related bloodstream infections (RSVP): a randomised, controlled, equivalence (central venous access device)–non-inferiority (peripheral arterial catheter) trial
Rickard, Claire M., Marsh, Nicole M., Larsen, Emily N., McGrail, Matthew R., Graves, Nicholas, Runnegar, Naomi, Webster, Joan, Corley, Amanda, McMillan, David, Gowardman, John R., Long, Debbie A., Fraser, John F., Gill, Fenella J., Young, Jeanine, Murgo, Marghie, Alexandrou, Evan, Choudhury, Md Abu, Chan, Raymond J., Gavin, Nicole C., Daud, Azlina, Palermo, Annamaria, Regli, Adrian and Playford, E. Geoffrey (2021). Effect of infusion set replacement intervals on catheter-related bloodstream infections (RSVP): a randomised, controlled, equivalence (central venous access device)–non-inferiority (peripheral arterial catheter) trial. The Lancet, 397 (10283), 1447-1458. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00351-2
2021
Journal Article
Improving knowledge and data about the medical workforce underpins healthy communities and doctors
Russell, Grant M., McGrail, Matthew R., O’Sullivan, Belinda and Scott, Anthony (2021). Improving knowledge and data about the medical workforce underpins healthy communities and doctors. Medical Journal of Australia, 214 (6), 252-254.e1. doi: 10.5694/mja2.50962
2021
Journal Article
Selection, training and employment to encourage early‐career doctors to pursue a rural postgraduate training pathway
O'Sullivan, Belinda, Gurney, Tiana and McGrail, Matthew (2021). Selection, training and employment to encourage early‐career doctors to pursue a rural postgraduate training pathway. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 29 (2), 267-271. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12744
2021
Journal Article
Critically reviewing the policies used by colleges to select doctors for specialty training: a kink in the rural pathway
McGrail, Matthew, O'Sullivan, Belinda and Gurney, Tiana (2021). Critically reviewing the policies used by colleges to select doctors for specialty training: a kink in the rural pathway. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 29 (2), 272-283. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12707
2020
Other Outputs
Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas: a systematic review
World Health Organisation Team, Strasser, Sarah, Austin, Marni, Bendotti, Hollie, Bourke, Gary, Campbell, David, Campbell, Narelle , Chater, Alan Bruce, Chong, Hwee Sin , Cribb, Jacqueline, Cumming, Kay, Doty, Barbara Jean, Eley, Diann, Erikson, Jay S., Florentis, Anastasia, Floss, Mayara, Goot, Katie, Greacen, Jane, Jonk, Yvonne , Khoo, Kean, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, Lamb, Margaret, Longenecker, Randall, McGrail, Matthew, Nasir, Bushra, Partanen, Riitta, Paterson, Davis , Rajapalisha, Dilum , Schmitz, David ... Tynan, Anna (2020). Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas: a systematic review. Human Resources for Health Observer Series No. 25 Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
2020
Journal Article
A realist evaluation of theory about triggers for doctors choosing a generalist or specialist medical career
O’sullivan, Belinda, McGrail, Matthew, Gurney, Tiana and Martin, Priya (2020). A realist evaluation of theory about triggers for doctors choosing a generalist or specialist medical career. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (22) 8566, 8566-17. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228566
2020
Journal Article
Exploring preference for, and uptake of, rural medical internships, a key issue for supporting rural training pathways
McGrail, Matthew R., O’Sullivan, Belinda G., Russell, Deborah J. and Rahman, Muntasirur (2020). Exploring preference for, and uptake of, rural medical internships, a key issue for supporting rural training pathways. BMC Health Services Research, 20 (1) 930, 930. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05779-1
2020
Journal Article
Evaluation of patient reported outcome measures post urethroplasty: piloting a “trifecta” approach
Ong, Michelle, Duncan, Catriona, McGrail, Matthew and Desai, Devang J. (2020). Evaluation of patient reported outcome measures post urethroplasty: piloting a “trifecta” approach. World Journal of Clinical Urology, 9 (1), 9-15. doi: 10.5410/wjcu.v9.i1.9
2020
Journal Article
An exploration of the experiences of GP registrar supervisors in small rural communities: a qualitative study
Couch, Danielle, O'Sullivan, Belinda, Russell, Deborah, McGrail, Matthew, Wallace, Glen and Bentley, Michael (2020). An exploration of the experiences of GP registrar supervisors in small rural communities: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 20 (1) 834, 834. doi: 10.1186/s12913-020-05697-2
2020
Journal Article
Faculties to support general practitioners working rurally at broader scope: a national cross-sectional study of their value
McGrail, Matthew R. and O’sullivan, Belinda G. (2020). Faculties to support general practitioners working rurally at broader scope: a national cross-sectional study of their value. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (13) 4652, 1-15. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134652
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Matthew McGrail is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
The Effectiveness of the Implementation of the Vision 2030 Healthcare Strategy in Improving Health Services in Rural Saudi Arabia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Bruce Chater, Dr Bushra Nasir
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Doctor Philosophy
What factors influence the use and satisfaction with hospital services of residents in Queensland's regions?
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Growing the Rural Medical Workforce Pipeline
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Di Eley
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Doctor Philosophy
The association of major depressive disorders with chronic disease among Indigenous Australians
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Dr Bushra Nasir
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Master Philosophy
Interprofessional collaboration in Radiography: Do we need to re-invent the wheel?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Priya Martin
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Doctor Philosophy
Determinants of referral patterns of patients with CKD from GP practice to Specialist Nephrology clinics based on combined eGFR and albuminuria measurements and their progress over time
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan
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Master Philosophy
Systemic analysis of the determinants that influence the oncologist-patient relationship; exploring the interplay between organisational, cultural and personal factors. Translating key findings into training and professional development interventions with mutual focus on patient and doctor outcomes.
Associate Advisor
Media
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