Remedies to the Global Shortage of Health Workers
Question
The paper is about healthcare worker shortages the details are below
Application of a tool for problem analysis that is accompanied by a minimum of two visual data displays, a short summary of observations, and evidence-based recommendations. This will vary significantly depending on your project; however, a few examples include:
Cost Benefit Analysis: Excel spreadsheet, converted into 2–3 graphs.
Compliance Assessment: 3 major Criteria converted into 3 separate pie charts
Lean Analysis: The percent of variance by major factor converted into 2–3 trend lines.
In addition to the above:
1. Identify the model or tool for analysis of the selected problem, and provide rationale.
2. Analyze and compare data relative to internal and external benchmarks.
3. Construct evidence-based recommendations that include ethical, legal, regulatory and organizational standards.
4. Include the raw data in a readable format in a Word document or spreadsheet with appropriate categories, titles, and labels.
Data Collection and Analysis Scoring Guide
Due Date: End of Unit 7
Percentage of Course Grade: 20%.
Criteria | Non-performance | Basic | Proficient | Distinguished |
---|---|---|---|---|
Identify the model or tool for analysis of the selected problem, and provide rationale. 34% | Does not identify the model or tool for analysis of the selected problem and does not provide rationale. | Identifies the model or tool for analysis of the selected problem but does not provide rationale. | Identifies the model or tool for analysis of the selected problem and provides rationale. | Identifies the model or tool for analysis of the selected problem and provides rationale from an authoritative source. |
Analyze and compare data relative to internal and external benchmarks. 33% | Does not analyze or compare data relative to internal and external benchmarks. | Analyzes or compares data relative to internal or external benchmarks, but not both. | Analyzes and compares data relative to internal and external benchmarks. | Analyzes and compares data relative to internal and external benchmarks, providing a rationale for the selected external benchmark used in the analysis. |
Construct evidence-based recommendations which include ethical, legal, regulatory and organizational standards. 33% | Does not construct any recommendations of ethical, legal, regulatory and organizational standards. | Constructs non-evidence-based recommendations which include ethical, legal, regulatory and organizational standards. | Constructs evidence-based recommendations which include ethical, legal, regulatory and organizational standards. | Constructs evidence-based recommendations which include ethical, legal, regulatory and organizational standards, and integrates two authoritative sources. |


Solution
Remedies
to the Global Shortage of Health Workers
Almost every
country in the world is currently experiencing a lack of health-care personnel.
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, at least half of the world's
countries are unprepared to meet their citizens' health-care needs (2017). The
UN considers health to be a fundamental human right to which everyone should
have access. The situation is now much worse because of the outbreak, spread
and prevalence of Covid-19 virus. America boasts of hosting 37% of the global
healthcare professionals while Africa has only 3% (WHO, 2018). This study
sought to investigate the impact of proposed remedies to the shortage of global
healthcare workers. Tables and graphic representations are used to visualize
and illustrate impact of remedies.
Figure 1: Estimates
of Health Worker Shortages, by WHO Region, 2013.
According to the WHO,
there is a great deal of discrepancy in the global lack of health-care
personnel. This, combined with the disease load, keeps developing countries,
particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, in a bind. An examination of global
statistics reveals differences in the distribution of health workers by sector
and region. Figure 2 depicts a graphical representation of health-care worker
distribution by continent and kind.
Figure 2: Density of
select health professionals per 10,000 people
Africa, with its
diverse 54 states, has the least health worker density compared to other
regions. It is the most vulnerable group and the shortage has devastating
impacts on their health care systems. In recent times, the Corona virus
pandemic exposed and worsened the extent of this shortage. The strain on
medical equipment, personnel and treatment regime has reached unprecedented
levels, prompting action from developed nations, in the form of aid. This is in
accordance to the latest data released by the WHO. Eastern Mediterranean
region, with an estimate of 5% of the world’s health care workers, is second in
this crisis. This places the area at high risk of health care systems failure
or strain.
South East Asia (8%)
and Western pacific (15%) follow at third and fourth spot in the severity of
the shortage, respectively. The Europe region boasts of having 32% of the total
health care workers. The Americas region has the highest number of health care
workers in the world. Their density of health professionals to the population
is relatively high as illustrated in figure 2. Globally, analysis of health
data reveals a huge deficit in the availability of sufficient health workers.
The density of health care workers per 10000 people is estimated to be between
16% to 18% (WHO, 2019).
A sectorial
analysis of WHO data on health worker shortages reveals the areas that have the
least number of workers. In this report, only four types of professional
workers in the health sector were considered. These were medical doctors,
nursing and midwifery personnel, dentists and pharmacists. In comparison,
dentists are the fewest at a dismal 3% density of the health care workers to
10000 people. Pharmacists and Doctors have 5% and 17% density of health workers
to their populations, respectively. Nurses represent the biggest number of
health workers, with a density of 39% per 10000 people. The cross-sectional
analysis of health care workers reveals that Africa has the lowest number of
workers in all types. This is a worrying trend that the United Nation, World
Health Organization and other global organizations should prioritize if they
are to achieve the UNs Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In order to
address the disparities and shortages in health care workers globally, certain
steps have to be taken with all the stakeholders. For any country to
successfully deal with this crisis, their corresponding government has to make
it a national priority. These interventions and possible remedies include:
Adopting Strong Governance Policies and Frameworks
This entails the creation
and implementation of concrete and industry-guided policies that guide the
health sector. Strong policies that guide education in the medical field, health
employment, international relations and exchange of medical services and
personnel, relocation of health workers, and creative partnership systems are
crucial. In the United Kingdom, the setting up and application of sustainable framework
has led to greater access to medical training, education and finances leading
to high number of medical practitioners. Governments of developing countries
should adopt similar policies, if they are to bridge the gap between healthcare
needs and health care workers available.
Defining and Distinguishing Health Workers Roles and
Responsibilities
Studies have shown that
over 70% of nurses and doctors are performing duties that they should not.
Given, the global statistics above, it is evident that there is very poor
distribution of healthcare professionals. A possible short-term remedy to this
crisis is rationally re-organize our workforce for effective management of
high-burden areas like Africa. Training of nurses and doctors equips them with
the essential skill set that improve the quality of health care given. Redistribution
of qualified personnel would ensure populations from developing countries to
access live-saving medical procedures, early disease detection and medical
advice that they previously could not. This initiative would lead to less
strain on the available specialists worldwide and significant cost reduction in
upscaling additional workforce.
Embracing Medical Innovations and Technology
The health sector of
developing countries should speed up the adoption of technology in health care.
The use of e-learning and e-health techniques, Artificial Intelligence and
Virtual Reality simulation as well as the internet can greatly assist in the
upskilling and training of health workers. This intervention would lead to an
increase of trained professionals in the health sector hence reducing the
shortage. Devices used to monitor health at home, tiny cameras, drones and methods
of outreach for remote healthcare are all changing healthcare delivery. The use
of internet and virtual learning also enables training of support personnel to
help reduce the strain on healthcare professionals. These modern technologies
are increasing the reach of an individual health worker without the associated
strain. In England, doctors are well on their way to creating fully functional
robots that can mimic complex surgeries.
Ensuring Sustainability and Gender-Balance of Health Workforce
The analysis above
reveals a great extent of disparities and gender imbalance in health employment
and the medical education system. Data shows that over 70% of nurses are
females while only 30% of doctors are females. Given the difference in medical
needs of female and male patients, more focus should be put on the training of
female doctors. The governments of developing nations should put in place
incentives and financial assistance programs for them. Along with reducing this
disparity, the initiative will also lead to increase in medical doctors
numbers. According to International Labor Organization (ILO) data, the gender
wage gap is also an area to improve, if this shortage is to cease. Equal pay
would motivate more women to train and practice as medical doctors.
Adoption of Responsive and New HealthCare Systems
Traditional health
systems that rely on hospitals and clinics require change to better align with
the current conditions of developing countries. Governments in these nations
must support a shift towards preventive care and self-care, as well as healthy
living. A healthcare policy should encompass all socio-economic factors that
affect health in area of concern. New care models and systems should be put in
place that allow early disease detection through wearable gadgets. They should
also entail the rearranging and redistribution of medical assets. The health
workforce should be equipped well to provide high quality, community-based and
integrated healthcare.
A better mapping
and distribution of health care resources worldwide is another intervention
that can greatly reduce the burden on health care workers. The inclusion and consideration
of cultural aspects when training doctors meant for a particular region is also
an important factor to consider in solving this crisis. The International
community and organizations should not only shift focus to solving this crisis
but also on fixing the disparities in the workforce. If developed countries
were to champion collaborations in medical education and exchange programs
between countries, cultural diversity would be achieved.
References
O’Brien & Gostin. (November, 2011).
Health Workers and Social Justice. Milbank
Quarterly.
WHO. (June, 2010). Task Shifting to Tackle
Health Worker Shortages. task_shifting_booklet.pdf
(who.int).
Nicola Yeates. (May, 2019). International
Health Worker Migration and Recruitment: Global Governance, Politics and Policy.
WHO. (June, 2018
Global
Health Workforce statistics database Global
Health Workforce statistics database (who.int).



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