Abstract
The importance of a sustainable health workforce is increasingly recognised. However, the building of a future health workforce that is responsive to diverse population needs and demographic and economic change remains insufficiently understood. There is a compelling argument to be made for a comprehensive research agenda to address the questions. With a focus on Europe and taking a health systems approach, we introduce an agenda linked to the ‘Health Workforce Research’ section of the European Public Health Association. Six major objectives for health workforce policy were identified: (1) to develop frameworks that align health systems/governance and health workforce policy/planning, (2) to explore the effects of changing skill mixes and competencies across sectors and occupational groups, (3) to map how education and health workforce governance can be better integrated, (4) to analyse the impact of health workforce mobility on health systems, (5) to optimise the use of international/EU, national and regional health workforce data and monitoring and (6) to build capacity for policy implementation. This article highlights critical knowledge gaps that currently hamper the opportunities of effectively responding to these challenges and advising policy-makers in different health systems. Closing these knowledge gaps is therefore an important step towards future health workforce governance and policy implementation. There is an urgent need for building health workforce research as an independent, interdisciplinary and multi-professional field. This requires dedicated research funding, new academic education programmes, comparative methodology and knowledge transfer and leadership that can help countries to build a people-centred health workforce.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 52 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-8 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Health Research Policy and Systems |
| Volume | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Jun 2018 |
| Event | 10th European Public Health Conference: Sustaining resilient and healthy communities - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 1 Nov 2017 → 4 Nov 2017 |
Bibliographical note
This Call for Action is closely linked to the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) and its new section ‘Health Workforce Research’. The idea was first developed during a pre-conference and two workshops at the EUPHA Conference in November 2016 in Vienna and further investigated at the EUPHA Conference in November 2017. We wish to thank all participants for inspiring discussions and for sharing ideas and knowledge.Keywords
- health workforce research
- health workforce policy
- health workforce governance
- human resources for health
- health professions
- skill mixes
- integrated care
- health workforce mobility
- Europe
Access to Document
- A call for action to establish a research agenda for building a future health workforce in Europe
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