Women's labour and economic globalisation: a participatory workshop created by Alternative Women in Development (Alt-WID).
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Economics↗
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Results for “workforce development”
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Challenges to dental access - England as a case study.
Access to dental services because of an insufficient workforce is a historic challenge faced by many developing countries. In recent years, however, it has become a major issue for many industrialized countries. The growing demand for cosmetic dentistry, an increase in patients' willingness to pay for dental treatment, and growing numbers of older dentate patients have all put pressure on dental systems. Ways of meeting these challenges and ensuring reasonable dental access will vary from country to country, but the solutions often lie in how the dental workforce is regulated. This case study of the dental reforms currently being implemented in England highlights progress at a particular point in time (Summer 2005). It is clear that it will take a number of years to find a new national dental payment system (the National Health Service) to replace the system which has changed little since 1948. However, the political pressure to address poor access to state-funded dental services calls for more immediate actions. The initial approach was to increase the dental workforce via international recruitment, and in the medium term to increase the number of dental students in training and to expand the numbers of other members of the dental team. An additional stratagem is to retain those already providing dental care under the National Health Service by the introduction of a new method of remuneration. England is trying to improve both access to care and the oral health of the population by creating a workforce more suitable to public demands and changing oral health needs.
Dental Health Services↗
Globalization, technological changes and the search for a new paradigm for women's work.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Asia↗
Modelling income distribution impacts of water sector projects in Bangladesh.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Agriculture↗
Women physicians in organized medicine: report of the AMA Council on Long Range Planning and Development.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
American Medical Association↗
Impact of race on the professional lives of physicians of African descent.
BACKGROUND: Increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the physician workforce is a national priority. However, insight into the professional experiences of minority physicians is limited. This knowledge is fundamental to developing effective strategies to recruit, retain, and support a diverse physician workforce. OBJECTIVE: To characterize how physicians of African descent experience race in the workplace. DESIGN: Qualitative study based on in-person and in-depth racially concordant interviews using a standard discussion guide. SETTING: The 6 New England states in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 25 practicing physicians of African descent representing a diverse range of primary practice settings, specialties, and ages. MEASUREMENTS: Professional experiences of physicians of African descent. RESULTS: 1) Awareness of race permeates the experience of physicians of African descent in the health care workplace; 2) race-related experiences shape interpersonal interactions and define the institutional climate; 3) responses to perceived racism at work vary along a spectrum from minimization to confrontation; 4) the health care workplace is often silent on issues of race; and 5) collective race-related experiences can result in "racial fatigue," with personal and professional consequences for physicians. LIMITATIONS: The study was restricted to New England and may not reflect the experiences of physicians in other geographic regions. The findings are meant to be hypothesis-generating and require additional follow-up studies. CONCLUSIONS: The issue of race remains a pervasive influence in the work lives of physicians of African descent. Without sufficient attention to the specific ways in which race shapes physicians' work experiences, health care organizations are unlikely to create environments that successfully foster and sustain a diverse physician workforce.
Adult↗
Population and labour force growth and patterns in ASEAN countries.
"The paper shows that the diverse labor dimensions prevailing in the ASEAN region can be attributed to changes in the structure of the society and economy in the course of recent economic development. It observes the considerable variety in the growth of the population and its effect on the labor force in the ASEAN region.... The paper details the similarity and diversity in the level and type of labor force participation rates. A common feature shared by ASEAN countries is a general pattern in the age-specific participation rate of men. In contrast, the women, aside from participating in the labor force at a much lower level than men at almost all ages, display diverse patterns of participation over the working age range. Lastly, the distribution of the labor force according to major industrial sectors in the six ASEAN countries is presented...."
Age Factors↗
Specialist public health capacity in England: working in the new primary care organizations.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the capacity and development needs, in relation to key areas of competency and skills, of the specialist public health workforce based in primary care organizations following the 2001 restructuring of the UK National Health Service. STUDY DESIGN: Questionnaire survey to all consultants and specialists in public health (including directors of public health) based in primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) in England. RESULTS: Participants reported a high degree of competency. However, skill gaps were evident in some areas of public health practice, most notably "developing quality and risk management" and in relation to media communication, computing, management and leadership. In general, medically qualified individuals were weaker on community development than non-medically qualified specialists, and non-medically qualified specialists were less able to perform tasks that require epidemiological or clinical expertise than medically qualified specialists. Less than 50% of specialists felt that their links to external organizations, including public health networks, were strong. Twenty-nine percent of respondents felt professionally isolated and 22% reported inadequate team working within their PCT or SHA. Approximately 21% of respondents expressed concerns that they did not have access to enough expertise to fulfil their tasks and that their skills were not being adequately utilized. CONCLUSIONS: Some important skill gaps are evident among the specialist public health workforce although, in general, a high degree of competency was reported. This suggests that the capacity deficit is a problem of numbers of specialists rather than an overall lack of appropriate skills. Professional isolation must be addressed by encouraging greater partnership working across teams.
England↗
A history of child health equity legislation in the United States.
The mission of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) is comprehensive in scope and establishes the capacity, structure, and function for the MCHB to continually improve the health and well-being of pregnant women and children. The MCHB works in partnership with states and has broad authority to improve access to care and ensure the provision of quality preventive and primary care services. Specific provisions of legislation establish the framework for accomplishing this mission. With the increasing recognition of the social, economic, and environmental determinants of child health and the inequities that exist in access and quality of care for children, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) has set the following 3 goals for year 2003: 1) To eliminate disparities in health status outcomes through the removal of economic, social, and cultural barriers to receiving comprehensive, timely, and appropriate health care; 2) To ensure the highest quality of care through the development of practice guidance and data monitoring and evaluation tools; the use of evidence-based research; and the availability of a well-trained, culturally diverse workforce; and 3) To facilitate access to care through the development and improvement of the maternal and child health infrastructure and systems of care to enhance the provision of necessary, coordinated, quality health care. Priority MCHB strategies to accomplish these goals include improving and expanding 1) the cultural competence of providers (in particular to decrease sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS] among minorities), 2) emergency medical services for children, 3) health and safety in child care, 4) quality of primary pediatric care, and 5) the providing of every child with a medical home.
Child↗
Employment transitions for older nurses: a qualitative study.
AIM: This paper aims to explore the influences on employment related decision making in respect of nurses over 50 in the United Kingdom. It investigates the retirement and labour market relationship through the diverse experiences of older nurses and stakeholders in nursing. BACKGROUND: The ageing of the United Kingdom nursing workforce constitutes a potential challenge for the National Health Services. There is evidence of increasing efforts to address this issue by encouraging older nurses to remain in the profession, dissuading early retirement and attracting nurses who have retired to return to nursing. However, decision-making by older nurses is influenced by a wide spectrum of factors and perceived employment options. BACKGROUND: The paper is based on research commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation as part of its Transitions Over 50 programme. It derives from concern about inadequate knowledge of, and under-developed policy responses to, the ageing United Kingdom workforce and the specific implications of this age shift for the nursing labour market. The research consisted of interviews with nurses over 50 and key stakeholders in nursing in the United Kingdom. Stakeholders included employers, advisers and policy makers in nursing. METHOD: Interviews with older nurses and stakeholders in nursing were conducted over a period of 12 months. They included face-to-face and telephone semi-structured interviews with 84 nurses over 50 and 18 key stakeholders in nursing in the United Kingdom. Stakeholders included employers, advisers and policy-makers. FINDINGS: Employers, policy makers and advisers and older nurses all identified a range of influences on nurses' employment decisions including a lack of flexible hours, the stress of work, pension-related expectations and the pace of change. Some of these related to negative aspects of work that led nurses to leave ('push' factors), and others to the presence of positive factors in nursing or in pension options ('pull' factors). CONCLUSION: The study highlighted the need for increased implementation of more flexible hours of work and greater availability of part-time hours for older nurses. It revealed the salience of improved pay, adequate and flexible pensions provision, and opportunities for continued professional development to the recruitment and retention of older nurses.
Age Factors↗
The physician workforce and financing of graduate medical education. American College of Physicians.
This paper addresses key issues concerning the physician workforce and the financing of graduate medical education. The American College of Physicians recommends the establishment of a national advisory organization to develop a coherent and coordinated national policy on the health professions workforce. Given the increasing oversupply of physicians, the College recommends that no new medical schools be created, that total enrollment in U.S. medical schools not increase, and that the number of international medical graduates entering residency training in the United States be restricted. All health care payers should share the cost of graduate medical education, funding should be predictable and stable, and funding should include ambulatory training sites. The number of first-year residents should be linked more closely to the annual number of medical graduates in the United States, and Medicare payments for medical education and training should be made only to the health maintenance organizations that actually incur these costs. The College advises that hospitals providing care primarily to underserved populations and indigent persons need stable funding with which to pay for personnel to replace residents. The College calls for research to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a voucher system, in which each resident would receive payment authorization certificates to fund training at accredited residency sites. Additional research is also recommended to distinguish the individual costs involved in graduate medical education from other costs associated with graduate medical education and the costs of care of indigent persons.
Education, Medical, Graduate↗
Training competent and effective Primary Health Care Workers to fill a void in the outer islands health service delivery of the Marshall Islands of Micronesia.
BACKGROUND: Human resources for health are non-existent in many parts of the world and the outer islands of Marshall Islands in Micronesia are prime examples. While the more populated islands with hospital facilities are often successful in recruiting qualified health professionals from overseas, the outer islands generally have very limited health resources, and are thus less successful. In an attempt to provide reasonable health services to these islands, indigenous people were trained as Health Assistants (HA) to service their local communities. In an effort to remedy the effectiveness of health care delivery to these islands, a program to train mid-level health care workers (Hospital Assistants) was developed and implemented by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the hospital in Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands. METHODS: A physician instructor with experience and expertise in primary health care in these regions conducted the program. The curriculum included training in basic health science, essentials of endemic disorders and their clinical management appropriate to the outer islands. Emphasis was given to prevention and health promotion as well as to the curative aspects. For clinical observation, the candidates were assigned to clinical departments of the Majuro hospital for 1 year during their training, as assistants to the nursing staff. This paper discusses the details of the training, the modalities used to groom the candidates, and an assessment of the ultimate effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Out of 16 boys who began training, 14 candidates were successful in completing the program. In 1998 a similar program was conducted exclusively for women under the auspices of Asian Development Bank funding, hence women were not part of this program. CONCLUSION: For developing countries of the Pacific, appropriately trained human resources are an essential component of economic progress, and the health workforce is an important part of human resources for sustainable progress and development.
Journal Article↗
The evolution of divergences in physician supply policy in Canada and the United States.
The size, geographic distribution, and specialty mix of the US physician workforce continue to interest American health policy analysts. Evidence suggests that the United States is on the verge of a serious oversupply of physicians, particularly nongeneralist physicians. Canada faces some of the same problems in physician supply, cost, and distribution as does the United States. Unlike the American states, however, the Canadian provinces, which have responsibility for financing health care, have in recent years made changes in their physician workforce policies that address these problems. Of particular note, Canadian provinces have developed policies that limit medical school enrollments, adjust the specialty training mix to better accord with needs, and establish physician practice location incentives. This article proceeds on the assumption that historical and contemporary similarities between medical care systems in Canada and the United States make comparisons between them potentially valuable. It offers a historical perspective on the evolution of workforce planning in the 2 countries and identifies 3 periods of policy development. It also compares and contrasts the relative size and specialty composition of the Canadian and US workforces and discusses how Canadian initiatives have diverged from American policy. Unless the United States devises its own coordinated workforce strategy, it will have considerable difficulty limiting physician workforce growth and influencing specialization and distribution in the future.
Canada↗
Avoiding crisis: right-sizing staffing for the future.
Workforce issues, especially recruitment and retention of qualified laboratory staff, are major strategic issues that will continue to face laboratory managers over the next 10 years. Major factors affecting the laboratory labor market in the next decade include increased health-care and laboratory testing needs of an aging population, the graying of the laboratory workforce as baby boomers retire, and new technology development. At least two of these factors will increase the demand for qualified laboratory professionals. Vacancy rates for laboratory professionals are increasing at a significant rate and will continue over the next 10 years. Planning will require creativity in staff recruitment and retention strategies and in human resources. Laboratorians no longer will have the luxury of using medical technologists for nonspecialized testing assignments and will need to develop more creative recruiting approaches using fewer highly qualified testing personnel. This article proposes a staffing deployment model that will use medical technologist education and skills more appropriately, will improve retention of medical technologists, and will alleviate the shortage of medical technologists by reducing dependence on them as routine laboratory testing personnel.
Aged↗
Managing diversity: a senior management perspective.
Diversity and managing diverse workgroups have become strategic imperatives for many organizations. Corporations are developing programs and opportunities to increase the participation of their employees, especially those who have not been previously included in the mainstream of their organizations. Many health care institutions are also focusing on diversity management. This study was designed to examine the manner in which diversity management is perceived and implemented by hospital executives. To determine the perception of executives, a 16-item questionnaire was developed and distributed to hospital executives. The data showed that executives in urban teaching hospitals considered their workforce diverse, and many of these organizations had implemented diversity management programs in their facilities. Surprisingly, this study found that although most executives (68 percent) agreed they had a diverse workforce, less than one-third (30 percent) of these executives had specifically developed diversity management programs in their hospitals.
Attitude of Health Personnel↗
The migration of nurses: trends and policies.
This paper examines the policy context of the rise in the international mobility and migration of nurses. It describes the profile of the migration of nurses and the policy context governing the international recruitment of nurses to five countries: Australia, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We also examine the policy challenges for workforce planning and the design of health systems infrastructure. Data are derived from registries of professional nurses, censuses, interviews with key informants, case studies in source and destination countries, focus groups, and empirical modelling to examine the patterns and implications of the movement of nurses across borders. The flow of nurses to these destination countries has risen, in some cases quite substantially. Recruitment from lower-middle income countries and low-income countries, as defined by The World Bank, dominate trends in nurse migration to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States, while Norway and Australia, primarily register nurses from other high-income countries. Inadequate data systems in many countries prevent effective monitoring of these workforce flows. Policy options to manage nurse migration include: improving working conditions in both source and destination countries, instituting multilateral agreements to manage the flow more effectively, and developing compensation arrangements between source and destination countries. Recommendations for enhancements to workforce data systems are provided.
Australia↗