Health workforce skill mix and task shifting in low income countries: a review of recent evidence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Health workforce needs-based shortages and skill mix imbalances are significant health workforce challenges. Task shifting, defined as delegating tasks to existing or new cadres with either less training or narrowly tailored training, is a potential strategy to address these challenges. This study uses an economics perspective to review the skill mix literature to determine its strength of the evidence, identify gaps in the evidence, and to propose a research agenda.

Methods

Studies primarily from low-income countries published between 2006 and September 2010 were found using Google Scholar and PubMed. Keywords included terms such as skill mix, task shifting, assistant medical officer, assistant clinical officer, assistant nurse, assistant pharmacist, and communit

SUBMITTER: Fulton BD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3027093 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature