ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization introduced the workload indicators of staffing needs (WISN) in 1998 to improve country-level health workforce planning. This study presents the primary care health workforce planning experiences of India, South Africa and Peru. METHODS: A case study approach was used to explore the lessons learnt in the implementation of WISN in India and South Africa. It also describes the methods developed and implemented to estimate health workforce in Peru. We identify the barriers and facilitators faced by countries during the implementation phase through the triangulation of literature, government reports and accounts of involved health planners in the three countries. RESULTS: India implemented WISN in a referral pathway of three district health facilities, including a primary health centre, community health centre and district hospital. Implementation was impeded by limited technical support, poor stakeholder consultation and information systems challenges. South Africa implemented WISN for health workforce planning in primary care and found the skills mix and staff determinations to be unaffordable. The Peruvian Ministry of Health considered using WISN but decided to develop a context-specific tool to estimate the health workforce needed using its available resources such as the National Register of Health Personnel. The main challenge in using WISN was the insufficient information on its inputs. CONCLUSION: While India and South Africa had unique experiences with the integration of WISN in their health system, none of the countries has yet benefited from the implementation of WISN due to financial, infrastructure and technical challenges. Since the methodology developed by the Peruvian Ministry of Health is context-specific, its implementation has been promising for health workforce planning. The learnings from these countries' experiences will prove useful in bringing future changes for the health workforce.
Subject(s)
Primary Health Care , Workload , Humans , Peru , South Africa , WorkforceABSTRACT
Peru has a high degree of inequity reflected in the distribution of morbidity and mortality, consistent with the inaccessibility to health care and human resource gap, especially in remote areas of the capital. The Peruvian Ministry of Health, recognizing the right of all people to quality health care, initiated the Universal Health Insurance (AUS), and in this context, increased access to specialized care in pilot AUS areas by brigades of specialist doctors. This article offers an approach to this strategy presents the management and implementation processes, a quantitative analysis with indicators of output / efficiency, and provides a qualitative look from the perspective of the members of the brigades. Its main findings reflect the lack of effective and efficient management, translated in the absence of: production goals, work plans, working partnerships with local stakeholders, monitoring and effective supervision, recurrent shortages of human and technological resources, and high costs.
Subject(s)
Delivery of Health Care/organization & administration , Medicine/organization & administration , Universal Health Insurance/organization & administration , Government , Humans , Peru , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Perú tiene alto grado de inequidad reflejado en la distribución de morbilidad-mortalidad, concordante con la inaccesibilidad a atención de salud y déficit de recursos humanos, especialmente en zonas alejadas de la capital. El Ministerio de Salud de Perú, reconociendo el derecho de toda la población a salud de calidad, inició el Aseguramiento Universal en Salud (AUS), en este marco, incrementó el acceso a atención especializada en zonas pilotos del AUS, mediante brigadas de médicos especialistas. Este artículo ofrece una aproximación a esta estrategia; presenta los procesos de gestión e implementación, hace un análisis cuantitativo con indicadores de producción/eficiencia, y brinda una mirada cualitativa desde la perspectiva de los brigadistas. Sus principales conclusiones inciden en la falta de gestión eficaz y eficiente, traducida en ausencia de: metas de producción, planes de trabajo, trabajo coparticipativo con actores locales, monitoreo y supervisión efectivos, reincidente escasez de recursos humanos y tecnológicos, y elevados costos.
Peru has a high degree of inequity reflected in the distribution of morbidity and mortality, consistent with the inaccessibility to health care and human resource gap, especially in remote areas of the capital. The Peruvian Ministry of Health, recognizing the right of all people to quality health care, initiated the Universal Health Insurance (AUS), and in this context, increased access to specialized care in pilot AUS areas by brigades of specialist doctors. This article offers an approach to this strategy presents the management and implementation processes, a quantitative analysis with indicators of output / efficiency, and provides a qualitative look from the perspective of the members of the brigades. Its main findings reflect the lack of effective and efficient management, translated in the absence of: production goals, work plans, working partnerships with local stakeholders, monitoring and effective supervision, recurrent shortages of human and technological resources, and high costs.
