Articles

Human resources for health interventions in high- and middle-income countries: findings of an evidence review

Many high- and middle-income countries face challenges in developing and maintaining a health workforce which can address changing population health needs. They have experimented with interventions which overl...

Authors: Sophie Witter, Mariam M. Hamza, Nahar Alazemi, Mohammed Alluhidan, Taghred Alghaith and Christopher H. Herbst

Accommodating conscientious objection in the midwifery workforce: a ratio-data analysis of midwives, birth and late abortions in 18 European countries in 2016

In recent years, the role of a midwife has expanded to include the provision of abortion-related care. The laws on abortion in many European countries allow for those who hold a conscientious objection to part...

Authors: Valerie Fleming, Clare Maxwell and Beate Ramsayer

Burnout in nursing: a theoretical review

Workforce studies often identify burnout as a nursing ‘outcome’. Yet, burnout itself—what constitutes it, what factors contribute to its development, and what the wider consequences are for individuals, organi...

Authors: Chiara Dall’Ora, Jane Ball, Maria Reinius and Peter Griffiths

Gender inequality in the health workforce in the midst of achieving universal health coverage in Mexico

The third Sustainable Development Goal aims to ensure healthy lives and to promote well-being for all at all ages. The health system plays a key role in achieving these goals and must have sufficient human res...

Authors: Julio César Montañez-Hernández, Jacqueline Elizabeth Alcalde-Rabanal, Gustavo Humberto Nigenda-López, Gladis Patricia Aristizábal-Hoyos and Lorena Dini

Reimagining the role of the nursing workforce in Uganda after more than a decade of ART scale-up

The expanding roles and increasing importance of the nursing workforce in health services delivery in resource-limited settings is not adequately documented and sufficiently recognized in the current literatur...

Authors: Henry Zakumumpa

How is increased selectivity of medical school admissions associated with physicians’ career choice? A Japanese experience

During the long-lasting economic stagnation, the popularity of medical school has dramatically increased among pre-medical students in Japan. This is primarily due to the belief that medicine is generally a re...

Authors: Reo Takaku

Redressing the gender imbalance: a qualitative analysis of recruitment and retention in Mozambique’s community health workforce

Mozambique’s community health programme has a disproportionate number of male community health workers (known as Agentes Polivalentes Elementares (APEs)). The Government of Mozambique is aiming to increase the...

Authors: Rosalind Steege, Miriam Taegtmeyer, Sozinho Ndima, Celso Give, Mohsin Sidat, Clara Ferrão and Sally Theobald

Mapping the peer-reviewed literature on accommodating nurses’ return to work after leaves of absence for mental health issues: a scoping review

The complexity of nursing practice increases the risk of nurses suffering from mental health issues, such as substance use disorders, anxiety, burnout, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The...

Authors: Christine L. Covell, Shamel Rolle Sands, Kenchera Ingraham, Melanie Lavoie-Tremblay, Sheri L. Price, Carol Reichert and Ivy L. Bourgeault

Adapting a health video library for use in Afghanistan: provider-level acceptability and lessons for strengthening operational feasibility

Community health workers (CHWs) in Afghanistan are a critical care extender for primary health services, including reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH) care. However, volunteer CHWs face ...

Authors: Lara Lorenzetti, Jenae Tharaldson, Subarna Pradhan, Sayed Haroon Rastagar, Shafiqullah Hemat, Sharif A. H. Ahmadzai, Lisa S. Dulli, Amy Weissman and Catherine S. Todd

Physicians’ perspective on shared decision-making in Dubai: a cross-sectional study

Shared decision-making (SDM) is an integral part of patient-centered delivery of care. Maximizing the opportunity of patients to participate in decisions related to their health is an expectation in care deliv...

Authors: Mohamad Alameddine, Reem AlGurg, Farah Otaki and Alawi A. Alsheikh-Ali

Why do graduates choose to work in a less attractive specialty? A cross-sectional study on the role of personal values and expectations

Primary health care (PHC), of which preventive medicine (PM) is a subspecialty, will have to cope with a deficiency of staff in the future, which makes the retention of graduates urgent. This study was conduct...

Authors: Van Anh Thi Nguyen, Karen D. Könings, E. Pamela Wright, Giang Bao Kim, Hoat Ngoc Luu, Albert J. J. A. Scherpbier and Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer

Pharmaceutical care in Chinese public tertiary hospitals: findings from the 4th National Healthcare Improvement Initiative Survey

Pharmaceutical care has been playing an increasingly critical role in Chinese hospitals. However, evidence about the most recent development of pharmaceutical care in China is limited. This study analyzed the ...

Authors: Mingshuang Li, Man Cao, Jing Sun, Yu Jiang and Yuanli Liu

How many and which physicians? A comparative study of the evolution of the supply of physicians and specialist training in Brazil and Spain

In the face of the medical workforce shortage, several countries have promoted the opening of medical schools and the expansion of undergraduate and specialization education in medicine. Few studies have compa...

Authors: Mário César Scheffer, Maria Pastor-Valero, Alex Jones Flores Cassenote and Antonio F. Compañ Rosique

A comparative analysis on human resources among the specialized ophthalmic medical institutions in China

This study compares perspectives on specialized ophthalmic medical institutions, identifies the gaps in property and geographic offerings, and explores the ways that ophthalmic medical institutions can better ...

Authors: Leilei Zhan, Neha Safaya, Hana Erkou, Lei An, Zhifeng Wang, Jingjing Feng and Xiao Xu

Using hospital auxiliary worker and 24-h TB services as potential tools to overcome in-hospital TB delays: a quasi-experimental study

In-hospital logistic management barriers (LMB) are considered to be important risk factors for delays in TB diagnosis and treatment initiation (TB-dt), which perpetuates TB transmission and the development of ...

Authors: Miguelhete Lisboa, Inês Fronteira, Paul H. Mason and Maria do Rosário O. Martins

A scoping review on family medicine in sub-Saharan Africa: practice, positioning and impact in African health care systems

Family medicine (FM) is a relatively new discipline in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), still struggling to find its place in the African health systems. The aim of this review was to describe the current status of F...

Authors: Maaike Flinkenflögel, Vincent Sethlare, Vincent Kalumire Cubaka, Mpundu Makasa, Abraham Guyse and Jan De Maeseneer

Coordinating health workforce management in a devolved context: lessons from Kenya

In 2013, Kenya fully and rapidly devolved health services to 47 county governments under its new constitution. It soon became evident that the coordination mechanism to manage the health workforce at a county ...

Authors: Mathew Kariuki Thuku, Janet Muriuki, Ummuro Adano, Linet Oyucho and David Nelson

Supervision as a tool for building surgical capacity of district hospitals: the case of Zambia

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have adopted task shifting of surgical responsibilities to non-physician clinicians (NPCs) as a solution to address workforce shortages. There is resistance to delegating s...

Authors: Jakub Gajewski, Nasser Monzer, Chiara Pittalis, Leon Bijlmakers, Mweene Cheelo, John Kachimba and Ruairi Brugha

Can traditional bonesetters become trained technicians? Feasibility study among a cohort of Nigerian traditional bonesetters

Traditional bonesetters (TBS) provide the majority of primary fracture care in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). They are widely patronized and their services are commonly associated ...

Authors: Ndubuisi Onu Onyemaechi, Ijeoma Uchenna Itanyi, Paulinus Okechukwu Ossai and Echezona Edozie Ezeanolue

Research to support evidence-informed decisions on optimizing the contributions of nursing and midwifery workforces

Authors: James Buchan, James Campbell and Carey McCarthy

Changing demographic trends among South African occupational therapists: 2002 to 2018

South Africa’s quadruple burden of disease, coupled with health system challenges and other factors, predicts a high burden of disability within the population. Human Resources for Health policy and planning n...

Authors: Lieketseng Ned, Ritika Tiwari, Helen Buchanan, Lana Van Niekerk, Kate Sherry and Usuf Chikte

Gender imbalance in executive management positions at the Mexican National Institutes of Health

Around the world, there is a significant difference in the proportion of women with access to leadership in healthcare with respect to men. This article studies gender imbalance and wage gap in managerial, exe...

Authors: Lucero Soledad Rivera-Romano, Cristobal Fresno, Enrique Hernández-Lemus, Mireya Martínez-García and Maite Vallejo

Attitudes of anesthetists towards an anesthesia-led nurse practitioner model for low-risk colonoscopy procedures: a cross-sectional survey

The mounting pressure on the Australian healthcare system is driving a continual exploration of areas to improve patient care and access and to maximize utilization of our workforce. We hypothesized that there...

Authors: L. Weinberg, H. Grover, D. Cowie, E. Langley, M. Heland and D. A. Story

Caribbean nurse migration—a scoping review

The migration of Caribbean nurses, particularly to developed countries such as Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, remains a matter of concern for most countries of the region. With nursing vaca...

Authors: Shamel Rolle Sands, Kenchera Ingraham and Bukola Oladunni Salami

Assessment of dual practice among physicians in Cambodia

Dual practice and multiple job holding are widespread among health workers throughout the world. Although dual practice can help the financially strained public sector retain skilled workers, there are also po...

Authors: Keovathanak Khim, Laura N. Goldman, Kristin Shaw, Jeffrey F. Markuns and Vonthanak Saphonn

Clarifying workforce flexibility from a division of labor perspective: a mixed methods study of an emergency department team

The need for greater flexibility is often used to justify reforms that redistribute tasks through the workforce. However, “flexibility” is never defined or empirically examined. This study explores the nature ...

Authors: Sarah Wise, Christine Duffield, Margaret Fry and Michael Roche

The imperative of evidence-based health workforce planning and implementation: lessons from nurses and midwives unemployment crisis in Ghana

Following periods of health workforce crisis characterised by a severe shortage of nurses, midwives and doctors due to low production rates and excessive out-migration, the Government of Ghana through the Mini...

Authors: James Avoka Asamani, Ninon P. Amertil, Hamza Ismaila, Francis Abande Akugri and Juliet Nabyonga-Orem

Proposing a re-conceptualisation of competency framework terminology for health: a scoping review

Competency frameworks are being taken up by a growing number of sectors and for a broad range of applications. However, the topic of competency frameworks is characterised by conceptual ambiguity, misunderstan...

Authors: Jody-Anne Mills, James W. Middleton, Alison Schafer, Siobhan Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Short and Alarcos Cieza

Development of a toolkit for educators of the wheelchair service provision process: the Seating and Mobility Academic Resource Toolkit (SMART)

Insufficient wheelchair training among rehabilitation professionals has been identified as an important factor that hinders access to appropriate wheelchair services. The aim of this study was to develop a too...

Authors: Paula W. Rushton, Karen Fung, Mélina Gauthier, Mary Goldberg, Maria Toro, Nicky Seymour and Jon Pearlman

Uganda’s laboratory human resource in the era of global health initiatives: experiences, constraints and opportunities—an assessment of 100 facilities

Laboratories are vital in disease diagnosis, prevention, treatment and outbreak investigations. Although recent decades have seen rapid advancements in modernised equipment and laboratory processes, minimal in...

Authors: Suzanne N. Kiwanuka, Noel Namuhani, Martha Akulume, Simeon Kalyesubula, William Bazeyo and Angela N. Kisakye

Medical training for universal health coverage: a review of Cuba–South Africa collaboration

Achieving improvements in Universal Health Coverage will require a re-orientation of medical education towards a stronger focus on primary health care. Innovative medical curricula have been implemented in som...

Authors: Neil Squires, Susannah E. Colville, Kalipso Chalkidou and Shah Ebrahim

The role of private education in the selection of primary care careers in low and middle-income countries. Findings from a representative survey of medical residents in Brazil

Primary health care (PHC) doctors’ numbers are dwindling in high- as well as low-income countries, which is feared to hamper the achievement of Universal Health Coverage goals. As a large proportion of doctors...

Authors: Giuliano Russo, Alex J. Flores Cassenote, Aline G. Alves Guilloux and Mário César Scheffer

Is enhancing the professionalism of healthcare providers critical to tackling antimicrobial resistance in low- and middle-income countries?

Healthcare providers’ (HCPs) professionalism refers to their commitment and ability to respond to the health needs of the communities they serve and to act in the best interest of patients. Despite attention t...

Authors: Mishal S. Khan, Sothavireak Bory, Sonia Rego, Sovanthida Suy, Anna Durrance-Bagale, Zia Sultana, Sophea Chhorn, Socheata Phou, Chanra Prien, Sotheara Heng, Johanna Hanefeld, Rumina Hasan and Vonthanak Saphonn

What is known about paediatric nurse burnout: a scoping review

Burnout in healthcare providers has impacts at the level of the individual provider, patient, and organization. While there is a substantial body of literature on burnout in healthcare providers, burnout in pe...

Authors: Laura Buckley, Whitney Berta, Kristin Cleverley, Christina Medeiros and Kimberley Widger

Physician workforce in the United States of America: forecasting nationwide shortages

Physicians play a critical role in healthcare delivery. With an aging US population, population growth, and a greater insured population following the Affordable Care Act (ACA), healthcare demand is growing at...

Authors: Xiaoming Zhang, Daniel Lin, Hugh Pforsich and Vernon W. Lin

Health workforce demography: a framework to improve understanding of the health workforce and support achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals

The ambition of universal health coverage entails estimation of the number, type and distribution of health workers required to meet the population need for health services. The demography of the population, i...

Authors: Sylvia Szabo, Andrea Nove, Zoë Matthews, Ashish Bajracharya, Ibadat Dhillon, Devendra Raj Singh, Aurora Saares and James Campbell

The impact of a global health elective on CanMEDS competencies and future practice

There is evidence that participating in global health electives generates positive educational outcomes and personal benefits for medical trainees. The objective of this study was to examine the effect and imp...

Authors: Ashley Lanys, Gena Krikler and Rachel F. Spitzer

Dental school tracks related to the retention of dentists in Thai government service: a cross-sectional survey

The shortage of dentists working in rural hospitals is an important public health problem resulting from dentist distribution inequity. The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand (MoPH) has implemented a policy...

Authors: Philaiporn Vivatbutsiri, Thanachok Iempook, Sakda Wonghinkong, Sunisa Sopa and Palinee Detsomboonrat

Task shifting for point-of-care early infant diagnosis: a comparison of the quality of testing between nurses and laboratory personnel in Zimbabwe

To decentralize point-of-care early infant diagnosis (POC EID), task shifting to cadres such as nurses is important. However, this should not compromise quality of testing through generating high rates of inte...

Authors: Francis M. Simmonds, Jennifer E. Cohn, Haurovi W. Mafaune, Tichaona H. Nyamundaya, Agnes Mahomva and Addmore Chadambuka

Nurse staffing in large general hospitals in China: an observational study

The appropriate staffing of nurses not only reflects the situation of nursing management of human resource, but also is related to the nursing quality in hospitals. This study investigated the staffing of nurs...

Authors: Yuchi Shen, Weiyan Jian, Qiufen Zhu, Wei Li, Wenhan Shang and Li Yao

Interventions to improve team effectiveness within health care: a systematic review of the past decade

A high variety of team interventions aims to improve team performance outcomes. In 2008, we conducted a systematic review to provide an overview of the scientific studies focused on these interventions. Howeve...

Authors: Martina Buljac-Samardzic, Kirti D. Doekhie and Jeroen D. H. van Wijngaarden

Do cognitive aids reduce error rates in resuscitation team performance? Trial of emergency medicine protocols in simulation training (TEMPIST) in Australia

Resuscitation of patients with time-critical and life-threatening illness represents a cognitive challenge for emergency room (ER) clinicians. We designed a cognitive aid, the Emergency Protocols Handbook, to ...

Authors: Charlotte Hall, Dean Robertson, Margaret Rolfe, Sharene Pascoe, Megan E. Passey and Sabrina Winona Pit

Hypothesis: improving literacy about health workforce will improve rural health workforce recruitment, retention and capability

One of the key barriers to health in rural areas is health workforce. Poor understanding and communication about health workforce across all stakeholder groups (including the broad community) is very common an...

Authors: Alexandra Martiniuk, Richard Colbran, Robyn Ramsden, Dave Karlson, Emer O’Callaghan, Estrella Lowe, Michael Edwards, Sharif Bagnulo, Imogene Rothnie, Laura Hardaker, Bernadette Gotch and Arna Wotherspoon

Patient satisfaction with physician assistant/associate care: an international scoping review

As the role of the physician assistant/associate grows globally, one question is: what is the level of patient satisfaction with PAs? Driven by legislative enactments to improve access to care, the PA has emer...

Authors: Roderick S. Hooker, Amanda J. Moloney-Johns and Mary M. McFarland

Violence against health care workers in China, 2013–2016: evidence from the national judgment documents

Incidents of patient-initiated workplace violence against health care workers have been a subject of substantial public attention in China. Patient-initiated violence not only represents a risk of harm to heal...

Authors: Ruilie Cai, Ji Tang, Chenhui Deng, Guofan Lv, Xiaohe Xu, Sean Sylvia and Jay Pan

Reducing maternal and newborn mortality in Nigeria—a qualitative study of stakeholders’ perceptions about the performance of community health workers and the introduction of community midwifery at primary healthcare level

Rural communities in Nigeria account for high maternal and newborn mortality rates in the country. Thus, there is a need for innovative models of service delivery, possibly with greater community engagement. I...

Authors: Ekechi Okereke, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku, Godwin Unumeri, Bello Mohammed and Babatunde Ahonsi

Getting more than “claps”: incentive preferences of voluntary community-based mobilizers in Tanzania

Marie Stopes Tanzania works with a voluntary cadre of 66 community-based mobilizers (CBMs), who are tasked with raising awareness, generating demand and providing referral to potential clients for family plann...

Authors: Maryse Kok, Dinu Abdella, Rose Mwangi, Mengi Ntinginya, Ente Rood, Jennifer Gassner, Kathryn Church and Nkemdiri Wheatley

Doctor retention and distribution in post-apartheid South Africa: tracking medical graduates (2007–2011) from one university

Doctor emigration from low- and middle-income countries represents a financial loss and threatens the equitable delivery of healthcare. In response to government imperatives to produce more health professional...

Authors: Ann George, Duane Blaauw, Jarred Thompson and Lionel Green-Thompson

Remote health workforce turnover and retention: what are the policy and practice priorities?

Residents of remote communities in Australia and other geographically large countries have comparatively poorer access to high-quality primary health care. To inform ongoing policy development and practice in ...

Authors: John Wakerman, John Humphreys, Deborah Russell, Steven Guthridge, Lisa Bourke, Terry Dunbar, Yuejen Zhao, Mark Ramjan, Lorna Murakami-Gold and Michael P. Jones

‘Everything was just getting worse and worse’: deteriorating job quality as a driver of doctor emigration from Ireland

Medicine is a high-status, high-skill occupation which has traditionally provided access to good quality jobs and relatively high salaries. In Ireland, historic underfunding combined with austerity-related cut...

Authors: N. Humphries, A. M. McDermott, E. Conway, J-P Byrne, L. Prihodova, R. Costello and A. Matthews