Hospital Performance

The performance of hospitals under changing socioeconomic conditions
A global study on hospital sector reform

IHF/WHO study

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Conference Report

A new report from the March 2007 conference, A Call to Action: Ensuring Global Human Resources for Health, presents specific recommendations for hospital and health system leaders, funding agencies, professional associations and government officials on ways to improve the scaling up of workforces and health systems infrastructure in both developing and developed countries. The release of this report comes just after the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA) statement on the announcements by the US and UK governments to provide support for increasing the numbers of health workers across four African countries.

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Human Resources

Inter-Professional Training Seminar

Health Care Worker Safety in the Context of drug-resistant TB in low and middle income countries

12 / 13 November 2007 - Cape Town, South Africa

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Guidelines on incentives for health professionals

International Council of Nurses, International Hospital Federation, International Pharmaceutical Federation, World Confederation for Physical Therapy, World Dental Federation, World Medical Association, May 2008

Commissioned by the Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA)

The world's leading health and hospital professional associations have joined to produce the first-ever joint guidelines on incentives for the retention and recruitment of health professionals. Commissioned by GHWA as part of its work to identify and implement solutions to the health workforce crisis, the Guidelines on Incentives for Health Professionals is the combined result of collaboration.

The report underlines how incentives are important levers that organizations can use to attract, retain, motivate and improve the performance of their staff in all professions and walks of life, This is especially and urgently needed in the health care sector, it states, where the growing gap between the supply of health care professionals and the demand for their services is reaching crisis levels in many countries. The 'Incentives' guidelines offer practical solutions that can make a difference. Professional associations will implement the guidelines by using the research to support claims and raise awareness of all stakeholders including patients.

The serious shortage of health workers across the world has been identified as one of the most critical constraints to the achievement of health and development goals. The 2006 World Health Report estimated a global shortage of 4.3 million health workers, including 2.4 million physicians, nurses and midwives. Translated into access to care, the shortage means that over a billion people have no access to heath care professionals.

The guidelines are available to download here in English, French or Spanish

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive summary

Introduction

A typology of incentives in health care

Financial incentives

Wages and conditions
Performance-linked payments
Other financial incentives

Non-financial incentives

Career and professional development
Workload management
Flexible working arrangements
Positive working environments
Access to benefits and supports

What does an effective incentive scheme look like?

Developing an incentive package

Conclusion

Appendix
References