The Australian preventive health agenda: what will this mean for workforce development?

Abstract

The formation of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) and the National Preventative Task Force in 2008, demonstrate a renewed Australian Government commitment to health reform. The re-focus on prevention, bringing it to the centre of health care has significant implications for health service delivery in the primary health care setting, supportive organisational structures and continuing professional development for the existing clinical and public health workforce. It is an opportune time, therefore, to consider new approaches to workforce development aligned to health policy reform. Regardless of the actual recommendations from the NHHRC in June 2009, there will be an emphasis on performance improvements which are accountable and aligned to new preventive health policy, organisational priorites and anticipated improved health outcomes. To achieve this objective there will be a need for the existing population health workforce, primary health care and non-government sectors to increase their knowledge and understanding of prevention, promotion and protection theory and practice within new organisational frameworks and linked to the community. This shift needs to be part of a national health services research agenda, infrastructure and funding which is supportive of quality continuing professional development. This paper discusses policy and practice issues related to workforce development as part of an integrated response to the preventive agenda.

Evaluation of health promotion training for the Western Australian Aboriginal maternal and child health sector

“…The need to increase knowledge and understanding of health promotion and prevention theory and practice among the health workforce, to contribute to the ultimate goal of improved health outcomes was well articulated. 3,4,[9][10][11][12][13][14]26 Given the need for tangible improvements in health outcomes for Aboriginal mothers and babies, 22 building the capacity of service providers to develop well-designed, sustainable health promotion programs that have the potential to effect real change is an important element to achieving these improvements. 27,28 A supportive, flexible workplace and the existence of dedicated health promotion staff in an organisation were strongly identified by participants as key enabling factors to the integration of health promotion into work practices.…”

Competências profissionais em Saúde Pública: conceitos, origens, abordagens e aplicações

“…Há relatos de tentativas internacionais para identificação de competências e para o desenvolvimento da força de trabalho para educação e promoção de saúde onde vários países conseguiram progressos significativos no campo, no entanto, este progresso é desigual e que muitos países carecem dos recursos necessários e de infra-estrutura (27) . As principais iniciativas para o desenvolvimento de competências em saúde no contexto internacional (3) estão resumidas no Quadro 5. No que tange aos aspectos citados, foram identificados, após o exame dos estudos sobre competências em saúde pública, que existem domínios comuns em vários países, que incluem: 1)avaliação; 2)planejamento e consulta; 3)implementação; 4) avaliação e pesquisa; 5)conhecimento -princípios, valores e ética; 6)comunicação; 7)política de defesa e desenvolvimento da estratégia ; 8)organização e gestão; 9)trabalhar com as comunidades, capacitação da comunidade; 10)formação de parcerias e de trabalho colaborativo; 11)liderança estratégica (2) .…”

“…• Quadro 5 -Resumo das principais iniciativas para o desenvolvimento de competências em saúde pública no contexto internacional no campo da educação e promoção de saúde (3) .…”

“…Nessa perspectiva, uma força de trabalho competente, ou seja, com o necessário conhecimento e habilidade para traduzir a teoria política e a pesquisa em ação efetiva, constitui ponto fundamental para o futuro crescimento e desenvolvimento da promoção da saúde (2) . A literatura descreve o papel de recursos humanos qualificados para o sucesso do desempenho do sistema de saúde, e aponta que as políticas e as metas organizacionais podem auxiliar ou constituir barreiras para o desenvolvimento dos profissionais (2)(3) . O conceito de competência é hoje amplamente difundido no mundo do trabalho e aplicado em variadas disciplinas científicas (4) .…”

Research to practice: application of an evidencebuilding framework to a childhood obesity prevention initiative in New South Wales

“…26 There are a host of program implementation issues, such as workforce availability and skills, supportive infrastructure, and other contextual factors such as policy requirements, which may influence policy makers when deciding which programs are feasible to 'scale up' . 7,11,27,28 Sometimes decisions are serendipitous, with a number of factors coming together at the right time which facilitate certain choices. 29 The availability (or not) of specific information at key decision-making moments can also influence the knowledge transfer.…”