An experience with the use of WISN tool to calculate staffing in a palliative care hospital in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The article describes a healthcare staffing exercise that took place in a Cancer Hospital IV, Brazil's first public palliative care unit. There are numerous gaps in the literature on specialized cancer staffing. Palliative care is a therapy modality that should begin with the diagnosis of a chronic disease, at which point the personnel must be technically and numerically adequate, as well as well-distributed, to provide coverage of the population that requires this type of care. METHODS: The WISN tool was chosen after a systematic review of the use of workload studies in palliative care, because it fulfills this objective. The WISN method is based on a health worker's workload, was developed in the late 1990s in the health sector and has been field-tested and implemented in several countries. Direct observation was used as the fieldwork approach, which was carried out by 18 research assistants with the assistance of two supervisors. They monitored 60 professionals in seven categories for 2 weeks on weekdays in the morning and afternoon periods: nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, medical, nutrition, psychology, and social services. RESULTS: Except for the medical staff, which at the time included additional physicians on loan from a partner institution to address a shortage in this professional group, all categories exhibited overload with WISN ratios ranging from 0.53 to 0.97. The analysis of time spent on individual activities indicated flaws with the services' informal organizations. The authors also noticed a strong emphasis on support activities and a lack of a clear schedule for training and research. The study's findings included a definition of standard activities for each professional group, an analysis and comparison of activities by categories, departments, and work shifts, a standard workload for training and research, and recommendations to include human resources planning as a fundamental part of a national policy for palliative care. CONCLUSIONS: The WISN tool can be used to plan human resources in cancer centers that provide palliative care, and it provides for a variety of analyses that can be combined with other approaches in the literature.

Application of workload indicators to assess the allocation of orthopedists in a national referral hospital in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The study analyzes the allocation of specialized doctors' orthopedists in a high-complex hospital, using the WHO's Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) methodology and approach, which measures the workload pressure on the healthcare team (positive, negative, or well-adjusted). METHODS: In the first phase, the hospital's operations and activities were analyzed using the information system. The duration of the tasks performed by the specialist physicians was observed and directly measured in the second phase. Finally, the indicators were analyzed, and the workload was calculated using the WISN application. The measurement was made using the available work time per year divided by the time unit over the previous 12 months. RESULTS: The hand surgery care unit was WISN 1.0 and the ratios for the spine surgery care unit was 1.22, indicating enough physicians and no work overload among the groups surveyed. The ratio in the knee unit was 1.69, indicating that there was an excess of staffing for the workload. CONCLUSION: The workload findings and staffing calculations were useful in supporting and orienting the design and implementation of measures to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of health services.

Interprofessional education in healthcare and health workforce (HRH) planning in Brazil: experiences and good practices.

We report a review of interprofessional education (IPE) for health in Brazil with the objective of identifying experiences and good practices related to the different contexts of changing education and health systems. Our approach is an integrative bibliographic review using surveys and analysis of documents related to IPE in the Virtual Health Library scientific data base. The Brazilian scenario on IPE is still rudimentary, lacking clarity in its definition and scientific progress. Records of successful experiences of IPE and collaborative practices show some growth, with a tendency toward great adherence of professionals, students and teachers in the training model reshuffle. Collaborative practices are strategically used as innovative pedagogical approaches to foster the establishment of integrated teaching-service-community curricula, which coexist with traditional ones. IPE initiatives and collaborative practices have existed in Brazil since the mid-twentieth century. However, the dynamics of training models have not been accompanied by the same pace of change in health services, even under pressure to expand the primary health care (PHC) network and international influence for changes in educational models. The main challenge in this context is to make changes in the three components of training programmes: theoretical orientation, pedagogical approach and scenarios of practices, responding to population health needs and improving people's quality of life.

Internal migration of physicians who graduated in Brazil between 1980 and 2014.

BACKGROUND: The internal migration of physicians from one place to another in the same country can unbalance the supply and distribution of these professionals in national health systems. In addition to economic, social and demographic issues, there are individual and professional factors associated with a physician's decision to migrate. In Brazil, there is an ongoing debate as to whether opening medicine programmes in the interior of the country can induce physicians to stay in these locations. This article examines the migration of physicians in Brazil based on the location of the medical schools from which they graduated. METHODS: A cross-sectional design based on secondary data of 275,801 physicians registered in the Regional Councils of Medicine (Conselhos Regionais de Medicina-CRMs) who graduated between 1980 and 2014. The evaluated outcome was migration, which was defined as moving away from the state where they completed the medicine programme to another state where they currently work or live. RESULTS: 57.3% of the physicians in the study migrated. The probability of migration ratio was greater in small grouped municipalities and lower in state capitals. 93.4% of the physicians who trained in schools located in cities with less than 100,000 inhabitants migrated. Fewer women (54.2%) migrated than men (60.0%). More than half of the physicians who graduated between 1980 and 2014 are in federative units different from the unit in which they graduated. Individual factors, such as age, gender, time of graduation and specialty, vary between the physicians who did or did not migrate. CONCLUSIONS: The probability of migration ratio was greater in small municipalities of the Southeast region and strong in the states of Tocantins, Acre and Santa Catarina. New studies are recommended to deepen understanding of the factors related to the internal migration and non-migration of physicians to improve human resource for health policies.

Recursos humanos para la salud: crisis global y cooperación internacional / Human resources for health: global crisis and international cooperation / Recursos humanos em saúde: crise global e cooperação internacional

A partir de los años 90 las economías nacionales se han entrelazado y globalizado. Los cambios en el perfil epidemiológico y demográfico de la población mostraron la necesidad de nuevos debates y estrategias de los Recursos Humanos para la Salud (RHS). La crisis global de la Fuerza de Trabajo en Salud (FTS) incluye dificultades para atraer a profesionales de la salud a las zonas remotas y rurales; la mala distribución y rotación de estos profesionales, especialmente los médicos; la cualificación inadecuada a las nuevas condiciones sanitarias y demográficas; y la necesidad de producir evidencia científica para apoyar la toma de decisiones y la gestión de políticas. Las actividades de cooperación técnica pueden contribuir al desarrollo de las capacidades de los países involucrados, fortaleciendo las relaciones y expandiendo el intercambio, la generación, la difusión y el uso de los conocimientos técnicos y científicos, así como la formación de los trabajadores y el fortalecimiento de sus instituciones. Este artículo explora este contexto, destacando la participación de Brasil en las estrategias de cooperación internacional en el área de RHS y destacando el papel de la Organización Mundial de la Salud para hacer frente a esta crisis que limita la capacidad de los países y sus sistemas de salud para mejorar la salud y la vida de sus poblaciones. (AU)

Assessment of human resources for health programme implementation in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

BACKGROUND: The health systems in the Americas region are characterized by fragmentation and segmentation, which constitute an important barrier to expanding coverage, achieving integrated primary health care, and reducing inefficiency and discontinuity of care. An assessment of the human resources for health (HRH) programmes that have been implemented at the country level was developed as part of the measurement of the 20 HRH regional goals for 2007-2015, adopted in 2007 by the Pan American Sanitary Conference (CSPA). METHODS: The exercise was a combination of academic research and the development/application of an advocacy tool involving policy makers and stakeholders to influence the decision-making in the development, implementation, or change of HRH programmes while building evidence through a structured approach based on qualitative and quantitative information and the exchange and dissemination of best practices. RESULTS: This paper covers the methodological challenges, as well as a summary of the main findings of the study, which included 15 countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in the Central America, Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in the Andean sub region, and Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in the South Cone. Despite the different contexts, the results showed that the programmes evaluated faced common challenges, such as lack of political support and financial unsustainability. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation process allowed the exchange and dissemination of practices, interventions, and programmes currently running in the region. A shared lesson was the importance of careful planning of the implementation of programmes and interventions. The similarities in the problems and challenges of HRH among the participating countries highlighted the need for a cooperation programme on the evaluation and assessment of implementation strategies in the Americas region.

Assessment of human resources for health programme implementation in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries

Background: The health systems in the Americas region are characterized by fragmentation and segmentation, which constitute an important barrier to expanding coverage, achieving integrated primary health care, and reducing inefficiency and discontinuity of care. An assessment of the human resources for health (HRH) programmes that have been implemented at the country level was developed as part of the measurement of the 20 HRH regional goals for 2007­2015, adopted in 2007 by the Pan American Sanitary Conference (CSPA). Methods: The exercise was a combination of academic research and the development/application of an advocacy tool involving policy makers and stakeholders to influence the decision-making in the development, implementation, or change of HRH programmes while building evidence through a structured approach based on qualitative and quantitative information and the exchange and dissemination of best practices. Results: This paper covers the methodological challenges, as well as a summary of the main findings of the study, which included 15 countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama in the Central America, Dominican Republic in the Caribbean, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in the Andean sub region, and Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in the South Cone. Despite the different contexts, the results showed that the programmes evaluated faced common challenges, such as lack of political support and financial unsustainability. Conclusions: The evaluation process allowed the exchange and dissemination of practices, interventions, and programmes currently running in the region. A shared lesson was the importance of careful planning of the implementation of programmes and interventions. The similarities in the problems and challenges of HRH among the participating countries highlighted the need for a cooperation programme on the evaluation and assessment of implementation strategies in the Americas region.(AU)

Saúde global e responsabilidade sanitária brasileira: o caso da erradicação da poliomielite / Global health and brazilian health responsibility: the case of polio eradication

A poliomielite foi declarada uma emergência global em 2012, após surtos ocorridos em países anteriormente livres da doença. Estudos apontam que, se a erradicação global falhar, haverá o ressurgimento mundial da doença. Apesar da pólio já ter sido erradicada no Brasil, o país tem um valioso papel a cumprir no cenário internacional, particularmente nos aspectos técnicos e no apoio político à Iniciativa Global de Erradicação da Pólio. As estratégias adotadas têm sido utilizadas como referências e replicadas em muitos outros países. Além disso, a liderança brasileira na erradicação ajudou a abrir caminhos para ampliar a imunização nas Américas e no mundo.

Polio was declared a global emergency in 2012 after outbreaks in previously polio-free countries. Studies indicate that if the global eradication of polio fails the resurgence of this disease will take place worldwide. Although polio has been eradicated in Brazil, the country has a valuable role to play in the International Community, particularly in technical and political support to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The strategies adopted have been used as references and replicated in many other countries. Moreover, Brazil's leadership in eradicating polio helped pave the way to broaden immunization in the Americas and worldwide.

Monitoring the implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

OBJECTIVE: To present the findings of the first round of monitoring of the global implementation of the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel ("the Code"), a voluntary code adopted in 2010 by all 193 Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO). METHODS: WHO requested that its Member States designate a national authority for facilitating information exchange on health personnel migration and the implementation of the Code. Each designated authority was then sent a cross-sectional survey with 15 questions on a range of topics pertaining to the 10 articles included in the Code. FINDINGS: A national authority was designated by 85 countries. Only 56 countries reported on the status of Code implementation. Of these, 37 had taken steps towards implementing the Code, primarily by engaging relevant stakeholders. In 90% of countries, migrant health professionals reportedly enjoy the same legal rights and responsibilities as domestically trained health personnel. In the context of the Code, cooperation in the area of health workforce development goes beyond migration-related issues. An international comparative information base on health workforce mobility is needed but can only be developed through a collaborative, multi-partnered approach. CONCLUSION: Reporting on the implementation of the Code has been suboptimal in all but one WHO region. Greater collaboration among state and non-state actors is needed to raise awareness of the Code and reinforce its relevance as a potent framework for policy dialogue on ways to address the health workforce crisis.

Força de trabalho em saúde mental no Brasil: os desafios da reforma psiquiátrica / Task force on mental health in Brazil: challenges of the psychiatric reform

O artigo analisa a formação de recursos humanos em saúde mental em uma conjuntura de mudança do modelo assistencial no Brasil, um dos países que mais rapidamente vêm adotando um modelo de atenção comunitária em substituição ao modelo asilar. Os autores argumentam que a preparação dos recursos humanos é um dos pontos mais frágeis no processo de mudança do modelo de atenção à saúde mental no Brasil, apesar de esta dificuldade não ser exclusivamente da área de saúde mental, mas de toda a Reforma Sanitária Brasileira. Segundo os autores, o desafio é planejar de maneira articulada à formação profissional e à política assistencial, articulando saúde e educação. A sustentabilidade da nova política assistencial no longo prazo requer a elaboração de políticas adequadas para os recursos humanos, bem como o enfrentamento da desigualdade distributiva da força de trabalho.

The paper analyzes mental health human resources training in a changing environment of the mental health delivery model in Brazil, a country that was one of the first to adopt a community care model to replace the one based on the asylum. The authors argue that the human resources training is one of the weakest points in the changing process of the mental health care model in Brazil, despite that this difficulty is exclusive of the mental health area. This problem seems to cut across the Brazilian Health Reform. According to the authors, the challenge is to plan co-ordinately the health system and the training policies, linking health and education. The long-term sustainability of the new health policy requires developing appropriate human resources policies, as well as to address the workforce distribution inequality.

Força de trabalho em saúde mental no Brasil: os desafios da reforma psiquiátrica / Task force on mental health in Brazil: the challenges of the psychiatric reform

O artigo analisa a formação de recursos humanos em saúde mental em uma conjuntura de mudança do modelo assistencial no Brasil, um dos países que mais rapidamente vêm adotando um modelo de atenção comunitária em substituição ao modelo asilar. Os autores argumentam que a preparação dos recursos humanos é um dos pontos mais frágeis no processo de mudança do modelo de atenção à saúde mental no Brasil, apesar de esta dificuldade não ser exclusivamente da área de saúde mental, mas de toda a Reforma Sanitária Brasileira. Segundo os autores, o desafio é planejar de maneira articulada à formação profissional e à política assistencial, articulando saúde e educação. A sustentabilidade da nova política assistencial no longo prazo requer a elaboração de políticas adequadas para os recursos humanos, bem como o enfrentamento da desigualdade distributiva da força de trabalho. (AU)