Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract In the European free movement zone, various mechanisms aim to harmonize how the competence of physicians and nurses is developed and maintained to facilitate the cross-country movement of professionals. This commentary addresses these mechanisms and discusses their implications during the C...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Human Resources for Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00624-w |
| _version_ | 1818577398069723136 |
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| author | Dimitra Panteli Claudia B. Maier |
| author_facet | Dimitra Panteli Claudia B. Maier |
| author_sort | Dimitra Panteli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In the European free movement zone, various mechanisms aim to harmonize how the competence of physicians and nurses is developed and maintained to facilitate the cross-country movement of professionals. This commentary addresses these mechanisms and discusses their implications during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing lessons for future policy. It argues that EU-wide regulatory mechanisms should be reviewed to ensure that they provide an adequate foundation for determining competence and enabling health workforce flexibility during health system shocks. Currently, EU regulation focuses on the automatic recognition of the primary education of physicians and nurses. New, flexible mechanisms should be developed for specializations, such as intensive or emergency care. Documenting new skills, such as the ones acquired during rapid training in the pandemic, in a manner that is comparable across countries should be explored, both for usual practice and in light of outbreak preparedness. Initiatives to strengthen continuing education and professional development should be supported further. Funding under the EU4Health programme should be dedicated to this endeavour, along with revisiting the scope of necessary skills following the experience of COVID-19. Mechanisms for cross-country sharing of information on violations of good practice standards should be maintained and strengthened to enable agile reactions when the need for professional mobility becomes urgent. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T06:29:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13eb8392972e4c77b2b3c748bfa275a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1478-4491 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T06:29:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human Resources for Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-13eb8392972e4c77b2b3c748bfa275a22022-12-21T22:40:55ZengBMCHuman Resources for Health1478-44912021-07-011911610.1186/s12960-021-00624-wRegulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemicDimitra Panteli0Claudia B. Maier1Department of Health Care Management, Technische Universität BerlinDepartment of Health Care Management, Technische Universität BerlinAbstract In the European free movement zone, various mechanisms aim to harmonize how the competence of physicians and nurses is developed and maintained to facilitate the cross-country movement of professionals. This commentary addresses these mechanisms and discusses their implications during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing lessons for future policy. It argues that EU-wide regulatory mechanisms should be reviewed to ensure that they provide an adequate foundation for determining competence and enabling health workforce flexibility during health system shocks. Currently, EU regulation focuses on the automatic recognition of the primary education of physicians and nurses. New, flexible mechanisms should be developed for specializations, such as intensive or emergency care. Documenting new skills, such as the ones acquired during rapid training in the pandemic, in a manner that is comparable across countries should be explored, both for usual practice and in light of outbreak preparedness. Initiatives to strengthen continuing education and professional development should be supported further. Funding under the EU4Health programme should be dedicated to this endeavour, along with revisiting the scope of necessary skills following the experience of COVID-19. Mechanisms for cross-country sharing of information on violations of good practice standards should be maintained and strengthened to enable agile reactions when the need for professional mobility becomes urgent.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00624-wHealth professional regulationEuropean UnionCross-country collaborationCOVID-19 pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Dimitra Panteli Claudia B. Maier Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic Human Resources for Health Health professional regulation European Union Cross-country collaboration COVID-19 pandemic |
| title | Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Regulating the health workforce in Europe: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | regulating the health workforce in europe implications of the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Health professional regulation European Union Cross-country collaboration COVID-19 pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-021-00624-w |
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