Target Trial Emulation and the TARGET Guideline to Advance Rural and Remote Health Research

Rural and remote Australians experience persistent health inequities. Although randomised controlled trials (RCTs) remain the most rigorous method for establishing causal relationships and informing equitable health policy, they are challenging to conduct in rural settings, contributing to under-representation in research. When RCTs are not feasible, observational analyses using the target trial framework provide a rigorous and pragmatic alternative. Despite growing international adoption, this approach has not been applied to rural contexts. The recently published TARGET guideline offers transparent reporting standards for these studies, providing a new methodological tool to advance rural and remote health research.