Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review
Background Task shifting is an approach to help address the shortage of healthcare workers through reallocating human resources but its impact on primary care is unclear. Objectives To provide an overview of reviews describing task shifts from physicians to allied healthcare workers in primary care...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of General Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2021.1954616 |
| _version_ | 1798019703764942848 |
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| author | Siew Lian Leong Siew Li Teoh Weng Hong Fun Shaun Wen Huey Lee |
| author_facet | Siew Lian Leong Siew Li Teoh Weng Hong Fun Shaun Wen Huey Lee |
| author_sort | Siew Lian Leong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Task shifting is an approach to help address the shortage of healthcare workers through reallocating human resources but its impact on primary care is unclear. Objectives To provide an overview of reviews describing task shifts from physicians to allied healthcare workers in primary care and its impact on clinical outcomes. Methods Six electronic databases were searched up to 15 December 2020, to identify reviews describing task shifting in primary care. Two reviewers independently screened the references for relevant studies, extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of included reviews using AMSTAR-2. Results Twenty-one reviews that described task shifting in primary care were included. Task shifted include provision of care for people with chronic conditions, medication prescribing, and health education. We found that task shifting could potentially improve several health outcomes such as blood pressure, HbA1c, and mental health while achieving cost savings. Key elements for successful implementation of task shifting include collaboration among all parties, a system for coordinated care, provider empowerment, patient preference, shared decision making, training and competency, supportive organisation system, clear process outcome, and financing. Conclusion Evidence suggests that allied healthcare workers such as pharmacists and nurses can potentially undertake substantially expanded roles to support physicians in primary care in response to the changing health service demand. Tasks include providing care to patients, independent prescribing, counselling and education, with comparable quality of care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:45:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7c3bf713905942ba982e88befe2371ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1381-4788 1751-1402 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T16:45:08Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of General Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-7c3bf713905942ba982e88befe2371ba2022-12-22T04:13:35ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of General Practice1381-47881751-14022021-01-0127119821010.1080/13814788.2021.19546161954616Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella reviewSiew Lian Leong0Siew Li Teoh1Weng Hong Fun2Shaun Wen Huey Lee3Faculty of Pharmacy, Cyberjaya University College of Medical SciencesSchool of Pharmacy, Monash University MalaysiaSchool of Pharmacy, Monash University MalaysiaSchool of Pharmacy, Monash University MalaysiaBackground Task shifting is an approach to help address the shortage of healthcare workers through reallocating human resources but its impact on primary care is unclear. Objectives To provide an overview of reviews describing task shifts from physicians to allied healthcare workers in primary care and its impact on clinical outcomes. Methods Six electronic databases were searched up to 15 December 2020, to identify reviews describing task shifting in primary care. Two reviewers independently screened the references for relevant studies, extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of included reviews using AMSTAR-2. Results Twenty-one reviews that described task shifting in primary care were included. Task shifted include provision of care for people with chronic conditions, medication prescribing, and health education. We found that task shifting could potentially improve several health outcomes such as blood pressure, HbA1c, and mental health while achieving cost savings. Key elements for successful implementation of task shifting include collaboration among all parties, a system for coordinated care, provider empowerment, patient preference, shared decision making, training and competency, supportive organisation system, clear process outcome, and financing. Conclusion Evidence suggests that allied healthcare workers such as pharmacists and nurses can potentially undertake substantially expanded roles to support physicians in primary care in response to the changing health service demand. Tasks include providing care to patients, independent prescribing, counselling and education, with comparable quality of care.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2021.1954616umbrella reviewprimary caretask shifthealth care organisation and systemsbarriers and facilitators |
| spellingShingle | Siew Lian Leong Siew Li Teoh Weng Hong Fun Shaun Wen Huey Lee Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review European Journal of General Practice umbrella review primary care task shift health care organisation and systems barriers and facilitators |
| title | Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review |
| title_full | Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review |
| title_fullStr | Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review |
| title_short | Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review |
| title_sort | task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages an umbrella review |
| topic | umbrella review primary care task shift health care organisation and systems barriers and facilitators |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2021.1954616 |
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