Health Workforce Governance

With increasing recognition of the international market in health professionals and the impact of globalism on regulation, the governance of the health workforce is moving towards greater public engagement and increased transparency. This book discusses the challenges posed by these processes such as improved access to health services and how structures can be reformed so that good practice is upheld and quality of service and patient safety are ensured. With contributions from regulators, academics, lawyers and health professionals, this book presents arguments from multiple perspectives. Of global relevance, it brings together concerns about access, quality and safety within the framework of the health workforce governance continuum and will be of interest to policy makers, regulators, health professionals, academics legal practitioners, insurers, students and researchers.

In bringing together research from a wide range of continental European countries as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the contributors to this text highlight different areas of governance, as well as the various players involved in the policy process.

This original and innovative book opens up new perspectives in health policy debate, examining the emerging international trends in the governance of health professions and the significance of national contexts for the changing health workforce. In bringing together research from a wide range of continental European countries as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the contributors highlight different arenas of governance, as well as the various players involved in the policy process. They expand the public debate on professional governance - hitherto mainly limited to medical self-regulation - to encompass a broad span of health care providers, from nurses and midwives to alternative therapists and health support workers. The book provides new data and geopolitical perspectives in the debate over how to govern health care. It helps to better understand both the enabling conditions for, and the barriers to, making professionals more accountable to the interests of a changing public. This book will be a valuable resource for students at an undergraduate and postgraduate level, particularly for health programmes, sociology of professions and comparative health policy, but also for academics, researchers and managers working in health care.

With nearly half of the world's population living in a rural or remote area, meeting the health needs of rural populations, where over 80% of the world's extremely poor live, is imperative in achieving universal health coverage. Leaving no one behind means ensuring that health workers are available in rural and remote areas. Health, social and economic inequities remain cross-cutting challenges for rural populations. Rural populations tend to be poorer, have worse health outcomes, and experience higher rates of unemployment, underemployment and informal employment. It is estimated that about 51-67% of rural populations are without adequate access to essential health services , translating to about 2 billion people being left behind. In some countries, rural populations have access to numbers of health workers that are 10 times less than the numbers available to urban populations. The deficiency in numbers and mix of trained motivated health workers to provide the needed health services is a critical health system issue. This inequitable access to health workers and health services impacts health outcomes and increases socioeconomic disadvantages. Higher under-5, maternal and preventable mortality rates, increased morbidity, decreased life expectancy, and more costs to access distant care are seen across rural areas.

This book examines the characteristics of sustainable remote health workforces and how management practices influence workforce sustainability in remote regions. It introduces the Integrated Human Resource Management (HRM) Framework for sustainable remote health workforces, providing a contemporary approach to remote health workforce sustainability. The book particularly focuses on the influence of localised management practices on workforce sustainability. For geographically remote managers, the book offers evidence-based information for developing effective management practices drawn from three separate, yet related research studies. This book will be of interest to managers and aspiring managers, working or planning to work in geographically remote regions across the globe. The book provides insight into the human resource management challenges for remote managers, and provides resources and practical management tools as well as suggestions about how managers can create their own localised management practices.

With increasing recognition of the international market in health professionals and the impact of globalism on regulation, the governance of the health workforce is moving towards greater public engagement and increased transparency. This book discusses the challenges posed by these processes such as improved access to health services and how structures can be reformed so that good practice is upheld and quality of service and patient safety are ensured. With contributions from regulators, academics, lawyers and health professionals, this book presents arguments from multiple perspectives. Of global relevance, it brings together concerns about access, quality and safety within the framework of the health workforce governance continuum and will be of interest to policy makers, regulators, health professionals, academics legal practitioners, insurers, students and researchers.