The sufficiency and effective functioning of the health workforce are deemed crucial for alleviating the burden of disease and premature death. Health workforce development, which encompasses availability, recruitment, retention, education, acceptability, motivation, burnout, role and responsibility, and performance, is fraught with various challenges. The lack of sufficient evidence on barriers and strategies towards comprehensive health workforce development necessitated a review of this subject, particularly at the primary healthcare level around the world.
A scoping review of reviews was carried out, focusing on health workforce development concepts like availability, recruitment, retention, role and responsibility, education and training, motivation, and burnout within primary health care. The search spanned across databases like Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE. The review sought to identify barriers and strategies for health workforce development, with the findings qualitatively synthesized based on the health system framework’s building blocks.
Overcoming Barriers to Strengthen the Primary Health Workforce
The search strategies yielded 7,276 papers, of which 69 were included in the scoping review. The most frequently cited barriers were financial challenges and issues related to healthcare delivery, such as workloads. Other barriers directly affecting healthcare providers included lack of training and ineffective teamwork. Additionally, other health system and governance barriers encompassed lack of support, unclear responsibility, and inequity. A notable barrier was the shortage of healthcare technology, referring to both healthcare supplies and information technology.
Effective strategies often cited included ongoing support and supervision, community engagement, establishing appropriate primary care settings, financial incentives, fostering teamwork, and promoting autonomous health care practice. These strategies are seen as potential solutions to the identified barriers.
Effective leadership/governance, a robust health financing system, the integration of health information and technology, such as mobile health, and ensuring a consistent supply of adequate resources are also vital components of primary healthcare workforce development. The findings underscore the importance of continuous professional development, which includes training new cadres, implementing effective recruitment and retention mechanisms, optimizing the skill mix, and promoting workplace wellness. These elements are essential in fostering a well-trained and resilient primary healthcare workforce.
Original article: Barriers and strategies for primary health care workforce development: synthesis of evidence. BMC Prim Care. 2024 Mar 27;25(1):99. doi: 10.1186/s12875-024-02336-1. PMID: 38539068; PMCID: PMC10967164.
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