Medical workforce planning in Australia: process, methodology and technical issues.
This article describes the process, methods and technical issues associated with national level planning of the medical workforce in Australia. In Australia, workforce planning is also undertaken for the nursing and allied health workforces using largely similar processes and methods outlined below, with obvious modifications for differences in data sources, structures and practice. In Australia, the focus is also switching to a more integrated planning approach along care group lines, for example emergency care, diabetes care. This approach is still in its infancy and some technical and methodology issues are unresolved. Much of the health workforce planning in Australia is undertaken at the national level through the research team at the National Health Workforce Secretariat, although some work is also undertaken by individual jurisdictional health departments and other stakeholders. Information about the national health workforce agenda and the outcomes of the research and analysis is available through the Health Workforce Australia website at http://www.healthworkforce.health.nsw.gov.au. It should be acknowledged that the main sections of this article have been summarised from the 2003 publication Specialist Medical Workforce Planning In Australia, prepared by the Australian Medical Workforce Advisory Committee and the National Health Workforce Secretariat.
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D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006285:Health Planning; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012179:Retirement; D012737:Sex Factors