Health workforce governance: Processes, tools and actors towards a competent workforce for integrated health services delivery.

A competent health workforce is a vital resource for health services delivery, dictating the extent to which services are capable of responding to health needs. In the context of the changing health landscape, an integrated approach to service provision has taken precedence. For this, strengthening health workforce competencies is an imperative, and doing so in practice hinges on the oversight and steering function of governance. To aid health system stewards in their governing role, this review seeks to provide an overview of processes, tools and actors for strengthening health workforce competencies. It draws from a purposive and multidisciplinary review of literature, expert opinion and country initiatives across the WHO European Region's 53 Member States. Through our analysis, we observe distinct yet complementary roles can be differentiated between health services delivery and the health system. This understanding is a necessary prerequisite to gain deeper insight into the specificities for strengthening health workforce competencies in order for governance to rightly create the institutional environment called for to foster alignment. Differentiating between the contribution of health services and the health system in the strengthening of health workforce competencies is an important distinction for achieving and sustaining health improvement goals.

Повышение уровня компетентности медицинских кадров в целях организации согласованного/комплексного предоставления медицинских услуг: рабочий документ

В данном документе представлен перечень компетенций, которые следует развивать и закреплять медицинским работникам для реализации системы предоставления скоординированных/комплексных медицинских услуг. С этой целью в документе предлагается цикл процесса закрепления компетенций, определения стратегий, необходимых на уровне предоставления услуг, и выявления возможных инструментов реализации, а также дается описание благоприятствующих условий на уровне системы здравоохраненияи обзор функций и обязанностей основных заинтересованных сторон.

Strengthening a competent health workforce for the provision of coordinated/integrated health services: working document

The paper proposes a list of competencies to be consolidated by the health workforce in order to realize coordinated/integrated health services delivery. To this end, the paper proposes a cycle for the process of competencies consolidation, identifying strategies required at the services delivery level and possible tools for implementation as well as describing the enabling conditions at the health system level and providing an overview of roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders involved.

Better noncommunicable disease outcomes: challenges and opportunities for health systems: Croatia country assessment: focus on cardiovascular diseases and diabetes

In Croatia, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 93% of all deaths. They aff ect mainly the populationof working age, with an 18% probability of premature mortality from four leading NCDs. This has signifi cantsocioeconomic consequences on the development of the country, indicating that immediate action must betaken to strengthen the capacity of the health system to respond. Much progress has been made, with politicalcommitment to health reform; however, NCDs were targeted only recently. The assessment reported here,conducted by the WHO Regional Offi ce for Europe in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, will form thebasis for integrated approaches to addressing the burden of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in Croatia. Theauthors analysed the current capacity of the health system to prevent and control these NCDs and identifi edmajor health system challenges; the document also reports good practice in using information technology forintegrating patient information. On the basis of the assessment, recommendations are made for further policiesand action.