%0 Journal Article
%T A model linking clinical workforce skill mix planning to health and health care dynamics
%A Keith Masnick
%A Geoff McDonnell
%J Human Resources for Health
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1478-4491-8-11
%X Taking a dynamic systems approach, we were able to address the interactions, delays and feedbacks that influence the balance between the major components of health and health care.We linked clinical workforce requirements to clinical workforce workload, taking into account the requisite facilities, technologies, other material resources and their funding to support clinical care microsystems; gave recognition to productivity and quality issues; took cognisance of policies, governance and power concerns in the establishment and operation of the health care system; and, going back to the individual, gave due attention to personal behaviour and biology within the socio-political family environment.We have produced the broad endogenous systems model of health and health care which will enable human resource planners to operate within real world variables. We are now considering the development of simple, computable national versions of this model.The current health workforce planning literature is very much concerned with discussions and suggestions as to the optimal composition of a health workforce, but there has been remarkably little by way of tools to assist the planner in actually determining what might be an appropriate mix of skills and personnel [1]. WHO has recently provided a wide ranging discussion on the concept of 'Ten Steps To System Thinking' to look at strengthening health systems through the use of systems thinking [2].However we have been attempting to devise a simple computable do-it-yourself tool which would help in drawing up and examining the staffing, service and costing implications of alternative skill mix scenarios. The scenarios would reflect different mixes of personnel categories, the shifting of tasks from one category of personnel to another, the substitution of one type of worker with another and the possible creation of new categories of health worker where this appeared to be desirable [3-6]. The planner would then have a repertory of
%U http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/8/1/11