From: Physician supply forecast: better than peering in a crystal ball?
Items | Issues |
---|---|
Model units | • Headcounts do not reflect variation in effective workforce. • FTE measured in working hours can translate into a variable effective workforce. • FTE defined in reference to the most active physician category makes the assumption that the activity level in that category is relevant. |
Data quality | • Routine data are useful, but provide generally limited information. • Various data sources coexist, with inconsistencies between them. • Qualitative data for in-depth understanding of trends is often lacking. |
Categories of resources | • Computation of human resources requirements by specialty obviates professional interactions and skill mix. • Assessing skill-mix requirements is a complex task and documentation is often lacking. |
Supply parameters | • Information other than age, sex and services volume is often unavailable. • Productivity is sensitive to the working and societal environment and is rapidly evolving. |
Demand parameters | • Assessing the impact of new technologies, emerging pathologies and demographic changes requires a large quantity of data and expertise that are often unavailable. • Level and mode of health care utilization are sensitive to the environment and are rapidly evolving. |
Modeling | • Deterministic models are likely to generate inaccuracies without providing a means to evaluate them. • Regression modeling with stochastic simulation can be innovative in the HRH field but background is lacking • Regular updating of data is paramount but resource-consuming. |