Medical‐workforce planning: an art or science?

Parsons, Donna

doi:10.1108/09670731011060289

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…The concept of need is normative—what ought to be, i.e., how many licensed doctors we should have [17]. It is determined by the population health status and demographic situation [19]. The concept of demand refers to how many licensed doctors the health system wants; it is only driven by people’s demand for health services.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the Licensed Doctor Maldistribution in China: A Demand-And-Supply Perspective

Zhu

Hsieh

Mao

2019

IJERPH

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Background: The maldistribution of licensed doctors is one of the major challenges faced by the Chinese health sector. However, this subject remains underexplored, as the underlying causes of licensed doctor distribution have not been fully mapped out. To fill the research void, this study theoretically modeled and empirically measured various determinants of licensed doctor distribution from both the supply and demand sides while taking the spillover effect between the adjacent geographical units into consideration. Methods: The theory of demand and supply is adopted to construct a research framework so as to explain the imbalance in the licensed doctor distribution. Both direct effects and spillover effects of the supply-side factors and demand-side factors are empirically measured with the spatial panel econometric models. Results: The health service demand was found, as expected, to be the major driving force of the licensed doctor distribution across the nation. That is, the increase in health services demands in a province could significantly help one unit attract licensed doctors from adjacent units. Unexpectedly but intriguingly, the medical education capacity showed a relatively limited effect on increasing the licensed doctor density in local units compared with its spillover effect on neighboring units. In addition, government and social health expenditures played different roles in the health labor market, the former being more effective in increasing the stock of clinicians and public health doctors, the latter doing better in attracting dentists and general practitioners. Conclusions: The results provide directions for Chinese policy makers to formulate more effective policies, including a series of measures to boost the licensed doctor stock in disadvantaged areas, such as the increase of government or social health expenditures, more quotas for medical universities, and the prevention of a brain drain of licensed doctors.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing the Licensed Doctor Maldistribution in China: A Demand-And-Supply Perspective

Zhu

Hsieh

Mao

2019

IJERPH

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“…Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge the diversity of health workforce projection models and statistical approaches in the literature, where existing studies often lack uniformity in reporting their methodologies. While some health workforce modelers consider health workforce modelling a blend of science and art [ 57 , 58 ], our best-practice reporting guidelines aim to provide a comprehensive framework for future research in this field. To tackle this diversity, our recommended guidelines are designed to accommodate various model types, emerging methodologies, and the growing utilization of advanced statistical techniques to address uncertainties and the urgent need for model validation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods for health workforce projection model: systematic review and recommended good practice reporting guideline

Lee,

Crettenden,

Tran

et al. 2024

Hum Resour Health

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Background Health workforce projection models are integral components of a robust healthcare system. This research aims to review recent advancements in methodology and approaches for health workforce projection models and proposes a set of good practice reporting guidelines. Methods We conducted a systematic review by searching medical and social science databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and EconLit, covering the period from 2010 to 2023. The inclusion criteria encompassed studies projecting the demand for and supply of the health workforce. PROSPERO registration: CRD 42023407858. Results Our review identified 40 relevant studies, including 39 single countries analysis (in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lesotho, Malawi, New Zealand, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, UK, United States), and one multiple country analysis (in 32 OECD countries). Recent studies have increasingly embraced a complex systems approach in health workforce modelling, incorporating demand, supply, and demand–supply gap analyses. The review identified at least eight distinct types of health workforce projection models commonly used in recent literature: population-to-provider ratio models (n = 7), utilization models (n = 10), needs-based models (n = 25), skill-mixed models (n = 5), stock-and-flow models (n = 40), agent-based simulation models (n = 3), system dynamic models (n = 7), and budgetary models (n = 5). Each model has unique assumptions, strengths, and limitations, with practitioners often combining these models. Furthermore, we found seven statistical approaches used in health workforce projection models: arithmetic calculation, optimization, time-series analysis, econometrics regression modelling, microsimulation, cohort-based simulation, and feedback causal loop analysis. Workforce projection often relies on imperfect data with limited granularity at the local level. Existing studies lack standardization in reporting their methods. In response, we propose a good practice reporting guideline for health workforce projection models designed to accommodate various model types, emerging methodologies, and increased utilization of advanced statistical techniques to address uncertainties and data requirements. Conclusions This study underscores the significance of dynamic, multi-professional, team-based, refined demand, supply, and budget impact analyses supported by robust health workforce data intelligence. The suggested best-practice reporting guidelines aim to assist researchers who publish health workforce studies in peer-reviewed journals. Nevertheless, it is expected that these reporting standards will prove valuable for analysts when designing their own analysis, encouraging a more comprehensive and transparent approach to health workforce projection modelling.

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Making the complexity of community nursing visible: the Cassandra project

Jackson

Leadbetter

Martin

et al. 2015

Br J Community Nurs

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The need to effectively promote safe staffing levels in community settings challenges commissioners and providers of services to find rigorous methods of capturing workforce evidence that can be systematically used to shape effective services and skill mix for the future. This article presents a brief review of current approaches and challenges to measuring community nursing workload activity in England. Specifically, it shows phase 1 pilot results using the Cassandra Matrix activity tool and review of ongoing developments and progress to demonstrate scalability for national implementation. As part of a much larger practice development project to develop community nursing, the pilot used mixed methods to collect 10 days of workload activity data from a self-selected sample of band 5-7 nurses working in general and specialist community nursing roles in three community organisations, and to evaluate their experiences of using the tool via an electronic survey. The findings indicate that the tool has significant potential for capturing the complexity and multiple dimensions of nursing work in community contexts, and phase 2 work has led to a community version of the tool being piloted on a larger scale across six community organisations.

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Medical‐workforce planning: an art or science?

Cited by 3 publications

References 1 publication

Addressing the Licensed Doctor Maldistribution in China: A Demand-And-Supply Perspective

Addressing the Licensed Doctor Maldistribution in China: A Demand-And-Supply Perspective

Methods for health workforce projection model: systematic review and recommended good practice reporting guideline

Making the complexity of community nursing visible: the Cassandra project

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