East Asia & Pacific

These data tables provide detailed information on the health workforce in Australia including data on workers from: health and community services, medical labor force, nursing and midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, podiatry and psychology. [from publisher]

Disaster medicine training is not included in medical education curriculum in China, even though the country has suffered various disasters annually. This article intended to assess the need for continual education regarding disaster management for health professionals in China.

This code provides guidelines for an ethical approach to the international recruitment of health workers in a manner that takes into account the potential impact of such recruitment on health services in the source country and it seeks to safeguard the rights of recruits, and the conditions relating to their profession in the recruiting countries. [from author]

This study assesses the new decentralized service provision system for people living with HIV/AIDS in rural populations in China. [from abstract]

This study reportw changes between 2006 and 2008 in numbers and employment status of health staff in three districts of Indonesia following the central government decision to offer doctors, nurses and midwives on contract the chance to convert to permanent civil service status. [adapted from abstract]

This paper begins with a review of general practice financing in Australia, and how nurses are currently funded. We then examine the influence on funding structures on the role of the nurse. We set out three dilemmas for policymakers in this area: lack of an evidence base for incentives, possible untoward impacts on interdisciplinary functioning, and the substitution/enhancement debate. [from abstract]

This 2:21 video introduces Ade Yanarsih’s work and challenges as a local health worker and community midwife in Kampung Cirendeng, Indonesia.

This article considers the shortage and maldistribution of health personnel in countries in southeast Asia in the context of international trade in health services. It analyzes the situation and identifies factors contributing to shortages and maldistribution in many countries in the region. The effect of trade in health services on the health workforce is discussed. [from introduction]

The purpose of this research was to identify aspects of work that have become more difficult for rural health workers as they have become older; and the age-related changes and exacerbating factors that contribute to these difficulties. Findings will support efforts to make workplaces more user-friendly for older health workers. [from abstract]

This report provides some insights on the social and cultural factors that shape hygiene practices in Cambodian health care settings that need to be considered when designing interventions to improve infection control practices. [adapted from abstract]

This discussion paper presents a comprehensive approach to the assessment of individual health worker, team and HRH management performance in the context of health system strengthening and the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 5. It provides examples of lessons learned in the planning, implementation and evaluation of HRH interventions in maternal, neonatal and reproductive health at the community level in the Asia and Pacific regions and considerations for enhanced performance in this area. [from introduction]

Despite the importance of accurate information about health service personnel and the context in which they practise, little is known about providers at the community level. The purpose of this discussion paper is to describe information flows and gaps concerning the workforce that provide maternal, neonatal and reproductive health care and services at community level; discuss potential stakeholders’ HRH information needs and uses; and provide recommendations for improving the availability, quality and use of HRH information. [from introduction]

This study investigated the change of awareness and perception towards gender-based violence (GBV) following a training project in Vietnam designed to educate health workers on the issues; evaluated changes in practice in integrating screening and treatment of GBV victims into medical and reproductive health services; and solicited recommendations from health staff about future GBV interventions. [adapted from author]

The HRDI project involves the collaboration of three institutions for the purpose of mobilizing the growing supply of health professionals well-trained in research, first to sustain their professional skills and development and second, to apply their skills to advance health and development in Viet Nam as effectively as possible.This report evaluates the impact of the Health (HRDI) project. [from introduction]

This article assesses the effectiveness of village health volunteers in performing early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the burden of malaria in Loa PDR. [adapted from abstract]

Retention of GPs in the more remote parts of Australia remains an important issue in workforce planning. The Northern Territory of Australia experiences very high rates of staff turnover. This research examined how the process of forming place attachment between GP and practice location might influence prospects for retention. [from abstract]

This study proposes methods for measuring inequalities in the distribution of health workers in a country by adapting techniques from the economics literature on income inequality to the measurement of health workforce distribution across geographical units. [from summary]

This review explored the contemporary understandings of the employment of overseas trained nurses in Australian regional and rural practice settings. [from abstract]

Hospitals with inadequate infection control are risky environments for the emergence and transmission of tuberculosis (TB). This study evaluated TB infection control practices, and the prevalence of latent TB infection and TB disease and risk factors in health care workers in TB centers in Henan province in China. [from abstract]

This qualitative descriptive study explored the perspectives and experiences of midwives, assistant physicians and medical doctors on the content and quality of maternal health care in rural Vietnam. [from abstract]

Medical students have been attending rural clinical schools (RCSs) since 2001. Although there have been generally positive single institution reports, there has been no multi-institution study using a common survey instrument. The experiences of medical students who attended a number of RCSs during 2006 were evaluated using a rural-specific questionnaire. [from abstract]

This research aimed at examining the effects of mentoring functions on the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of new nurses in Taiwan’s hospitals.

This report summarizes a a rapid mapping of HRH resources in Pacific Island countries to generate baseline data on the current HRH situation in the region, information on in-country and external education institutions involved in HRH development, and data on external partners providing HRH-related assistance. [adapted from summary]

This assessment evaluates a health service mangement systems project undertaken in the Aceh province after the 2004 earthquakea and tsunami. The project implemented information systems for hospitals and primary care, and this evaluation details the lessons learned and challenges from health workers as well as the short term impact the systems have had on health service delivery processes.

This study evaluates the health impacts of a volunteer intervention addressing health worker shortage in remote mountainous communities of Vietnam. [from abstract]

The aim of this project was to identify if there is a link between what nursing students learn in simulated clinical laboratory sessions and what they experience during their clinical placements. [from abstract]

Predictions on the growing shortage of the ageing Australian dental workfoce are based on the retirement trends of previous generations. This study attempts to determine the retirement intentions of today’s older dentists. [adapted from abstract]

Although the community health service system is now established in China, the utilisation of the community health service institutions is low due to the lack of a gate-keeping role of the primary health service providers and referrals among the three-tiered health service institutions. This study focuses on the question of how to increase the utilisation of Chinese community health centres. [from abstract]

The purpose of this study was to measure job satisfaction level of township health centers employees in poor rural China and to identify relevant features in order to provide policy advice on human resource development of health service institutions in poor regions.

This review shows how lessons that have been learned from international experiences have been improved further in China by realignment of the incentives for providers towards prevention and primary care, and incorporation of a treatment protocol for hospital services. [from summary]