Advancing the science behind human resources for health: highlights from the Health Policy and Systems Research Reader on Human Resources for Health

Abstract

Health workers are central to people-centred health systems, resilient economies and sustainable development. Given the rising importance of the health workforce, changing human resource for health (HRH) policy and practice and recent health policy and systems research (HPSR) advances, it is critical to reassess and reinvigorate the science behind HRH as part of health systems strengthening and social development more broadly. Building on the recently published Health Policy and Systems Research Reader on Human Resources for Health (the Reader), this commentary reflects on the added value of HPSR underpinning HRH. HPSR does so by strengthening the multi-disciplinary base and rigour of HRH research by (1) valuing diverse research inferences and (2) deepening research enquiry and quality. It also anchors the relevance of HRH research for HRH policy and practice by (3) broadening conceptual boundaries and (4) strengthening policy engagement. Most importantly, HPSR enables us to transform HRH from being faceless numbers or units of health producers to the heart and soul of health systems and vital change agents in our communities and societies. Health workers’ identities and motivation, daily routines and negotiations, and training and working environments are at the centre of successes and failures of health interventions, health system functioning and broader social development. Further, in an increasingly complex globalised economy, the expansion of the health sector as an arena for employment and the liberalisation of labour markets has contributed to the unprecedented movement of health workers, many or most of whom are women, not only between public and private health sectors, but also across borders. Yet, these political, human development and labour market realities are often set aside or elided altogether. Health workers’ lives and livelihoods, their contributions and commitments, and their individual and collective agency are ignored. The science of HRH, offering new discoveries and deeper understanding of how universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals are dependent on millions of health workers globally, has the potential to overcome this outdated and ineffective orthodoxy.

The effect of leadership on public service motivation: a multiple embedded case study in Morocco

“…Our study shows, in line with leadership literature,122 123 that laissez-faire leadership decreases intrinsic motivation and public service motivation of all cadres by being less responsive to the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness of staff and by reducing perceived organisational support 1 5 92…”

“…Health workers’ performance has received increased attention from policy makers, scholars and global health organisations,1–3 and is recognised as an essential driver for the achievement of the sustainable development goals,4 the implementation and the scale up of effective public health sectors reforms 5–9…”

Does public service motivation matter in Moroccan public hospitals? A multiple embedded case study

“…The motivation of health workers is a key concern of policy makers, researchers and practitioners [1, 2], as it is widely regarded as a key determinant of health worker’s performance. Most research on motivation carried out in the field of human resources for health focuses on extrinsic motivation,, performance-based financing and contracting out [3–5].…”

Analysis on the Differences of Health Resources Allocation in Undeveloped Areas of Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Based on this, on the one hand, the government should pay more attention to widening the channels for talent introduction on the basis of stabilizing the existing staff (Tursunbayeva et al, 2015). On the other hand, the breakthrough for medical institutions is to strengthen personnel incentive mechanisms in terms of optimizing employment management and performance evaluation (George et al, 2018). At the same time, relying on counterpart support, targeted training of general practitioners, telemedicine and other health personnel training models, jointly promote the development of underdeveloped areas.…”