Action is needed to improve the stability of specialist medical services in rural Australia, say researchers.

Only about half of medical specialists who provide outreach services to Australian rural communities visit the same town on a continuing basis.

And those who return within three years are likely to be male, aged between 45 and 64, and working in mixed, mainly private practices.

The authors of the research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, are calling for a review of incentives and models of practice to improve the stability of rural services.

"Evidence shows that rural outreach clinics can improve access to specialist services, reducing hospitalisations and achieving similar clinical outcomes to metropolitan-based clinics," said co-author Belinda O'Sullivan.

"The degree to which specialists continue to visit the same town over time is important to sustaining access and supporting follow-up care."

The analysis, covering 2008 to 2012, found 51.9 per cent of 848 specialists continued to provide their services.

"General surgeons and otolaryngologists were more likely to provide regular outreach service, whereas laboratory specialists, anaesthetists and emergency physicians were less likely," the authors said.

Stability could be improved if metropolitan practices use a team-based rotational system, requiring less time commitment by individuals.

"Financial subsidies for the costs of travel and travel time might also help facilitate ongoing rural outreach by specialists working privately," the authors said.

Further research is needed to find out how more female specialists can be encouraged to return, they said.