Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model
Abstract Background The World Health Organization’s global strategy on human resources for health includes an objective to align investment in human resources for health with the current and future needs of the population. Although oral health is a key indicator of overall health and wellbeing, and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Human Resources for Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12960-019-0394-0 |
| _version_ | 1818205435706998784 |
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| author | Susan Ahern Noel Woods Olivier Kalmus Stephen Birch Stefan Listl |
| author_facet | Susan Ahern Noel Woods Olivier Kalmus Stephen Birch Stefan Listl |
| author_sort | Susan Ahern |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The World Health Organization’s global strategy on human resources for health includes an objective to align investment in human resources for health with the current and future needs of the population. Although oral health is a key indicator of overall health and wellbeing, and oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases affecting half the world’s population, oral health workforce planning efforts have been limited to simplistic target dentist-population or constant services-population ratios which do not account for levels of and changes in population need. Against this backdrop, our aim was to develop and operationalise an oral health needs-based workforce planning simulation tool. Methods Using a conceptual framework put forward in the literature, we aimed to build the model in Microsoft Excel and apply it in a hypothetical context to demonstrate its operability. The model incorporates a provider supply component and a provider requirement component, enabling a comparison of the current and future supply of and requirement for oral health workers. Publicly available data, including the Special Eurobarometer 330 Oral Health Survey, were used to populate the model. Assumptions were made where data were not publicly available and key assumptions were tested in scenario analyses. Results We have systematically developed a needs-based workforce planning model for the oral health workforce and applied the model in a hypothetical context over a 30-year time span. In the 2017 baseline scenario, the model produced a full-time equivalent (FTE) provider requirement figure of 899 dentists compared with an FTE provider supply figure of 1985. In the scenario analyses, the FTE provider requirement figure ranged from 1123 to 1629 illustrating the extent of the impact of changing parameter values. Conclusions In response to policy makers’ recognition of the pressing need to better plan human resources for health and the scarcity of work in this area for dentistry, we have demonstrated the feasibility of producing a workable, practical and useful needs-based workforce planning simulation tool for the oral health workforce. In doing so, we have highlighted the challenges faced in accessing timely and relevant data needed to populate such models and ensure the reliability of model outputs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:57:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48d7acca88524864b6b0f5ab755877d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1478-4491 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T03:57:05Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Human Resources for Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-48d7acca88524864b6b0f5ab755877d62022-12-22T00:39:12ZengBMCHuman Resources for Health1478-44912019-07-011711910.1186/s12960-019-0394-0Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation modelSusan Ahern0Noel Woods1Olivier Kalmus2Stephen Birch3Stefan Listl4Oral Health Services Research Centre, Cork University Dental School & Hospital, University College CorkCentre for Policy Studies, Cork University Business School, University College CorkSection for Translational Health Economics, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Heidelberg UniversityCentre for the Business and Economics of Health, The University of QueenslandSection for Translational Health Economics, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Heidelberg UniversityAbstract Background The World Health Organization’s global strategy on human resources for health includes an objective to align investment in human resources for health with the current and future needs of the population. Although oral health is a key indicator of overall health and wellbeing, and oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases affecting half the world’s population, oral health workforce planning efforts have been limited to simplistic target dentist-population or constant services-population ratios which do not account for levels of and changes in population need. Against this backdrop, our aim was to develop and operationalise an oral health needs-based workforce planning simulation tool. Methods Using a conceptual framework put forward in the literature, we aimed to build the model in Microsoft Excel and apply it in a hypothetical context to demonstrate its operability. The model incorporates a provider supply component and a provider requirement component, enabling a comparison of the current and future supply of and requirement for oral health workers. Publicly available data, including the Special Eurobarometer 330 Oral Health Survey, were used to populate the model. Assumptions were made where data were not publicly available and key assumptions were tested in scenario analyses. Results We have systematically developed a needs-based workforce planning model for the oral health workforce and applied the model in a hypothetical context over a 30-year time span. In the 2017 baseline scenario, the model produced a full-time equivalent (FTE) provider requirement figure of 899 dentists compared with an FTE provider supply figure of 1985. In the scenario analyses, the FTE provider requirement figure ranged from 1123 to 1629 illustrating the extent of the impact of changing parameter values. Conclusions In response to policy makers’ recognition of the pressing need to better plan human resources for health and the scarcity of work in this area for dentistry, we have demonstrated the feasibility of producing a workable, practical and useful needs-based workforce planning simulation tool for the oral health workforce. In doing so, we have highlighted the challenges faced in accessing timely and relevant data needed to populate such models and ensure the reliability of model outputs.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12960-019-0394-0Oral healthWorkforce planningNeeds-basedProvider supplyProvider requirement |
| spellingShingle | Susan Ahern Noel Woods Olivier Kalmus Stephen Birch Stefan Listl Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model Human Resources for Health Oral health Workforce planning Needs-based Provider supply Provider requirement |
| title | Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model |
| title_full | Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model |
| title_fullStr | Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model |
| title_short | Needs-based planning for the oral health workforce - development and application of a simulation model |
| title_sort | needs based planning for the oral health workforce development and application of a simulation model |
| topic | Oral health Workforce planning Needs-based Provider supply Provider requirement |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12960-019-0394-0 |
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