HRH Global Resource Center - Skill Mix Imbalance

Distribution and Skill Mix of Human Resources for Health in Nepal

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:22:32 +0000

The Ministry of Health and Population of Nepal has identified major challenges in human resources for health, specifically in the shortage, distribution and skill mix of health workers in the country. This report aims to provide insight into specific challenges and policy recommendations for the ministry and concerned stakeholders. [from summary]

Medical Students' Choices of Speciality in the Gambia: The Need for Career Counselling

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 18:27:20 +0000

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on consenting students of the first medical school in Gambia to help understand preferences for specialties by medical students, and the factors driving choices, to assist policy makers in ensuring optimal spread of personnel across disciplines. [adapted from abstract]

Model Linking Clinical Workforce Skill Mix Planning to Health and Health Care Dynamics

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:54:30 +0000

This paper presents a structural map of a health system based on a synthesis of a needs-based analytic framework and a supply side framework, showing the interactive connections between its major components, which could be expanded at a later date to show the linkages between the tasks performed by a health workforce and the cadres of personnel that could supply those tasks. [adapted from author]

From Staff Mix to Skill Mix and Beyond: Towards a Systemic Approach to Health Workforce Management

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:13:10 +0000

This review describes evidence about the benefits and pitfalls of current approaches to human resources optimisation in health care. It concludes that in order to use human resources most effectively, health care organisations must consider a more systemic approach - one that accounts for factors beyond narrowly defined human resources management practices and includes organisational and institutional conditions. [from abstract]

How Can Optimal Skill Mix be Effectively Implemented and Why?

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:05:02 +0000

This policy brief describes steps towards the determination and implementation of an optimal skill mix within a health system, including definition of the skill mix and how to achieve clarity regarding the key policy problems for which it is envisioned as a solution. [from executive summary]

Inequitable Distribution of Doctors: Can it be Solved?

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:46:43 +0000

Maldistribution of human resources for health is a worldwide phenomenon and may appear in different dimensions. The first and greatest concern is the inequitable distribution, particularly of high level professionals like doctors, both among countries in the world and within each country. [author’s description]

Knowledge and Skills Gap of Medical Practitioners Delivering District Hospital Services in the Western Cape, South Africa

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 19:14:15 +0000

Health service managers in the Western Cape requested a skills audit of medical officers in district hospitals to identify a possible gap in competencies that may impact on service delivery. The aim of this study was thus to identify the knowledge and skills of medical practitioners delivering these services in the Western Cape and to compare them with service needs in order to make recommendations for education and training. This article reports on the results of the knowledge and skills gap analysis, while the results of the district hospital performance data and in-depth interviews are reported elsewhere.

Determining Staffing Levels and Mix of UCMB Affiliated Hospitals

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 19:27:48 +0000

The main objectives of this study in Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau (UCMB) affiliated hospitals were to: assess the
quality of services delivered in accordance to the
available standards; compute staffing requirements for
the hospitals; and set standard workloads for each
type of staff cadre. [from introduction]

Regulation, Roles and Competency Development

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 19:11:44 +0000

This paper aims to provide an overview of the current evidence and opinion of the workforce implications of regulation, competency development and role definition. These three elements are inextricably linked to each other and are fundamental to the practice of nursing in today’s environment. [from introduction]

Global Shortage of Registered Nurses: An Overview of Issues and Actions

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 15:04:17 +0000

Against the backdrop of growing concern about shortages of health personnel, the report focuses on one of the most critical components of the workforce