Evidence boost for quality: visiting-specialist services to improve access and outcomes for isolated populations.

People living in rural and remote communities often have among the greatest health needs but the most limited access to healthcare services, including specialist care. One solution for increasing access to specialist services is visiting-specialist services or specialist outreach clinics - that is, planned, regular visits by specialist physicians from their usual practice location to see patients in primary care or rural hospital settings. The evidence behind visiting-specialist services was recently summarized in Evidence Boost for Quality, a special subseries of Evidence Boost, produced by the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation to showcase healthcare issues where research indicates a preferred course of action in health services management and policy. To access archived issues of Evidence Boost, visit http://www.chsrf.ca/mythbusters/eb_e.php.