Needs assessment for development of 6for6: Longitudinal research skills program tailored to rural and remote family physicians.

Problem Addressed: Rural and remote family physicians (RRFPs) face greater barriers to research engagement than their urban colleagues and have access to fewer faculty development programs (FDPs) to foster their research skills.

Objective Of Program: To identify and prioritize skills and services that RRFPs need to engage in research.

Program Description: Memorial University of Newfoundland in St John's used a needs assessment as the foundation for developing an FDP for RRFPs. The assessment comprised a systematic literature review and environmental scan, key informant interviews (n = 10), a focus group with RRFPs (n = 15), expert group meetings (n = 2), and needs assessment surveys (n = 19).

Conclusion: The assessment identified barriers to RRFPs engaging in research, priority considerations for the development of a research FDP for RRFPs, and research areas to be included in the program curriculum. This information was used to inform phases 2 and 3 of program development, which are further discussed in a companion article.