Health Workforce

The Centre for Health Policy hasfocused on Human Resources for Health (HRH) for over a decade, often nested as a central themewithin specific research projects. Health workers are central to health systems; the health workforce isone of the building blocks ofa country'shealth system.

CHP's research in this area is methodologically innovative, both locally and internationally, particularly with regard to discrete choice experiments. CHP researchhas explored the behaviour, motivation and performance of health professionals; attracting health workers to rural areas; developments in nursing practice and policy; and the impact of HRH policy interventions, amongst others.

Much of CHP's future work on the health workforce will complement the newly establishedUniversal Health Coverageproject as part of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI).

Publications

2014

Lagarde M,Blaauw D.Pro-social preferences and self-selection into jobs: Evidence from South African Nurses. 2014Journalof Economic Behavior & Organization107 (2014) 136–152.

Koon AD,Goudge J, Norris SA.Considerations for linking South Africa’s Youth Friendly Services to its community health worker programme.S Afr J CH2014;8(3):85-87. DOI:10.7196/SAJCH.677.

Munyewende P, Rispel LC, Chirwa T.Positive practice environments influence job satisfaction of primary health care clinic nursing managers in two South African provinces.2014Human Resources for Health, 12:27 doi:10.1186/1478-4491-12-27.

Rispel LC,Blaauw D, Chirwa T, de Wet K.Factors influencing agency nursing and moonlighting among nurses in South Africa. 2014Glob Health Action;7:23585.

Van Zyl G, Christofides N.International Nurses Day and press coverage in South Africa.2014 International Nursing Review, 61(2): 186-193. DOI 10.111/inr.21201

2013

Blaauw D, Ditlopo P,Maseko, F, Chirwa, M, Mwisongo, A., Bidwell,P, Thomas, S, Normand, C.Comparing the job satisfaction and intention to leave of different categories of health workers in Tanzania, Malawi, and South Africa.2013Glob Health Action2013, 6: 19287 -http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v6i0.19287

Lagarde M, Pagaiya N, Tangcharoensathian V,Blaauw D.One size does not fit all: investigating doctors’ state preference heterogeneity for job incentives to inform policy in Thailand.2013Health Economics. DOI: 10.1002/hec.2897.

Mbindyo P,Blaauw D, English M.The role of Clinical Officers in the Kenyan health system: a question of perspective.2013Hum Resour Health;11 (1):32.

Smith R, Lagarde M,Blaauw D, Goodman C, English M, Mullei K, Pagaiya N, Tangcharoensathien V, Erasmus E, Hanson K.Appealing to altruism: an alternative strategy to address the health workforce crisis in developing countries?2013J Public Health (Oxf);35 (1):164-70.

Ditlopo P, Blaauw D, Rispel, LC, Thomas S, Bidwell P.Policy implementation and financial incentives for nurses in South Africa: a case study on the occupation specific dispensation.2013Glob Health Action2013, 6: 19289 -http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v6i0.19289

Nxumalo N, Goudge J, ThomasL.Outreach services to improve access to health care in South Africa: lessons from three community health worker programmes.2013Glob Health Action, 6: 19283 -http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v6i0.19283

Ndou T,Van Zyl G,Hlahane S,Goudge J. (2013)A rapid assessment of a community health worker pilot programme to improve the management of hypertension and diabetes in Emfuleni sub-district of Gauteng Province, South Africa.2013Glob Health Action, 6: 19228 -http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/gha.v6i0.19228

2012

Lagarde M,Blaauw D,Cairns J.Cost-effectiveness analysis of human resources policy interventions to address the shortage of nurses in rural South Africa.2012Social Science & Medicine.doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.005:1-6.

Miranda JJ, Diez-Canseco F, Lema C, Lescano AG, Lagarde M,Blaauw D,Huicho L.Stated preferences of doctors for choosing a job in rural areas of Peru: A discrete choice experiment.2012PLoS ONEDecember 18 7(12): e50567. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050567.

2011

Fonn S, Ray S,Blaauw D.Innovation to improve health care provision and health systems in sub-Saharan Africa - promoting agency in mid-level workers and district managers.Glob Public Health.2011Sep;6(6):657-68. Epub2011May 24.

2010

Blaauw D, Erasmus E, Pagaiya N, Tangcharoensathein V, Mullei K, Mudhune S, Goodman C, English M, Lagarde MPolicy interventions that attract nurses to rural areas: a multicountry discrete choice experiment.Bull World Health Organ.2010May;88(5):350-6.

Mullei K, Mudhune S, Wafula J, Masamo E, English M, Goodman C, Lagarde M,Blaauw DAttracting and retaining health workers in rural areas: investigating nurses' views on rural posts and policy interventions.BMC Health Serv Res.2010Jul 2;10 Suppl 1:S1.