The impact of physician-nurse task shifting in primary care on the course of disease: a systematic review

How general practitioners in France are coping with increased healthcare demand and physician shortages. A panel data survey and hierarchical clustering

BACKGROUND

General practitioners (GPs) face quantitative and qualitative changes in patient demand and doctor shortages.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate how GPs cope with doctor shortage issues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two cross-sectional surveys of a representative panel of 1530 GPs in 2019 and 2022 about their perceptions of physician shortages, working hours worked (WHW), and adaptive behaviors. Hierarchical clustering enabled identification of profiles with different adaptation patterns. Multiple Poisson or logistic regression models studied associations between GPs' profiles and professional characteristics.

RESULTS

87.4 % of GPs applied at least one adaptation to control patients' healthcare demand. 24 % adopted task-shifting while their average WHW decreased by 3.6 h between 2019 and 2022. Four GP profiles were identified. "Low adapters/low workload" and "Low adapters/high workload" (25 % of the sample each) reported 2.4 adaptive measures: 75.5 % refused to be new patients' preferred doctor in the former group (vs 5.1 %). "High adapters/unchanged consultations" (30.7 %) and "High adapters/shortened consultations" (18.9 %) reported 4.8 and 6.1 adaptations, respectively. They were more likely to practice in medically underserved areas.

CONCLUSION

These results call into question GPs' gatekeeper role in the French healthcare system. Moreover, the marked reduction in WHW in underserved areas is likely to exacerbate their uneven distribution nationwide. Encouraging vertical integration between HCPs while enhancing cooperation and task-shifting is probably a pathway toward improving the relative GP shortage.

The effect of consultations performed by specialised nurses or advanced nurse practitioners on patient and organisational outcomes in patients with complex health conditions: An umbrella review

BACKGROUND

Policymakers and researchers often suggest that nurses may play a crucial role in addressing the evolving needs of patients with complex conditions, by taking on advanced roles and providing nursing consultations. Nursing consultations vary widely across settings and countries, and their activities range from complementing to substituting traditional physician-led consultations or usual care.

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at describing the effects of nursing consultations with patients with complex conditions in any setting on patient outcomes (quality of life, physical status, psychosocial health, health behaviour, medication adherence, mortality, anthropometric and physiological outcomes, and patient satisfaction) and organisational outcomes (health resource use and costs).

DESIGN

Umbrella review.

METHODS

We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute method for umbrella reviews. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and CINAHL to identify relevant articles published in English, Dutch, French, Spanish or German between January 2013 and February 2023. We included systematic literature reviews, with or without meta-analyses, that included randomised controlled trials conducted in high-income countries. Reviews were eligible if they pertained to consultations led by specialised nurses or advanced nurse practitioners. Article selection, data extraction and quality appraisal were performed independently by at least two reviewers.

RESULTS

We included 50 systematic reviews based on 473 unique trials. For all patient outcomes, nursing consultations achieved effects at least equivalent to those of physician-led consultations or usual care (i.e., non-inferiority). For quality of life, health behaviour, medication adherence, mortality and patient satisfaction, more than half the meta-analyses found statistically significant effects in favour of nursing consultations (i.e., superiority). Cost results must be interpreted with caution, because very few and heterogeneous cost-related data were extracted, and the methodological quality of the cost analyses was questionable. Narrative syntheses confirmed the overall conclusions of the meta-analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of nursing consultations on patients with complex health conditions across healthcare settings appear to be at least similar to physician-led consultations or usual care. Nursing consultations appear to be more effective than physician-led consultations or usual care in terms of quality of life, health behaviour, mortality, patient satisfaction and medication adherence. Further analysis of the primary data is necessary to determine the patient populations and settings in which nursing consultations are most effective. Moderate study quality, diversity amongst and within systematic reviews, and quality of reporting hamper the strength of the findings.

Developing a Global Strategy for strengthening the occupational therapy workforce: a two-phased mixed-methods consultation of country representatives shows the need for clarifying task-sharing strategies

INTRODUCTION

Occupational therapy has been underdeveloped and often neglected in the global health workforce agenda, contrasting with the global rise of population needs for services. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) is utilizing a research-based, multi-step process for developing a Global Strategy for strengthening the occupational therapist workforce. A multi-pronged scoping review, situational analysis, and expert input process enabled the drafting of a provisional Global Strategy. Here, feedback on that draft from representatives of WFOT member organizations was obtained and analyzed as one key intermediate step toward shaping the in-developing Strategy's content and structure.

METHODS

Two-phased, mixed-methods consultation consisting of: (1) online survey with score ratings and comments on the utility of each strategy and (2) four in-person focus groups discussions on low-scoring items involving a total of 76 representatives of WFOT member organizations. The focus group discussions were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

Strategies involving 'task shifting/task sharing' or the 'harmonization of workforce data-collection requirements' received the lowest scores in the initial survey and were thereby addressed in the focus groups discussions. The overarching theme of the focus groups was the need to: "clarify, specify, and contextualize the strategies", including: (1) "clarify the terminology and specify the application", for example, describe the meaning of task shifting, specify which tasks can (and cannot) be shifted and to whom, to address concerns regarding scope-of-practice, service demand, and safety; and (2) "outline the context of need and the context for the implementation" of the strategies, elucidating why the strategies are needed and how they can be feasibly implemented across the different jurisdictional contexts.

CONCLUSION

Within a mixed-methods consultation, WFOT representatives identified challenging topics on the draft workforce strategies and suggested methods to improve the Global Strategy, its acceptability, and implementation. The terms 'task shifting/task sharing' raised the greatest discussion among the profession leaders, when the strategy was not sufficiently clarified, specified, or contextualized.

It's not the task, it's the shifting exploring physicians' and leaders' perspectives on task shifting in emergency departments in Norway

BACKGROUND

Task shifting is an approach where specific tasks are transferred, when convenient, from health workers with high qualifications to health workers with less training and lower qualifications. This approach is mainly used to utilize the available human resources for health. Tasks that are traditionally linked to the physician role have increasingly been transferred to registered nurses during the last decade. Knowledge regarding the experiences and reflections of physicians and their leaders related to giving up tasks or how such policies can best be implemented is limited. This study aimed to explore physicians' and their leaders' perspectives on task shifting, especially to registered nurses, in different Norwegian emergency departments.

METHODS

The study was carried out from June to October 2022. It had an explorative and descriptive qualitative design and an inductive approach, semi-structured interviews was used. The study involved ten physicians and leaders from three different regional hospitals in south-eastern Norway. Manifest and latent content analysis were used to analyse the data. The COREQ guidelines were applied in the study.

RESULTS

From the three categories 1) The rationale for task shifting, 2) Teambuilding and 3) Implementation of task shifting, with nine subcategories. One overall main theme emerged: It is not the task, it is the shifting - moving towards a person-centred culture.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicates that developing a person-centred culture and fostering a team approach in emergency departments is more important than simply shifting tasks, as task shifting may lead to fragmented care and resistance from physicians. Hospital leaders must invest time and effort into organising teams and providing clear leadership to support the redesign of professional roles, recognising the cultural and traditional challenges involved. Policymakers should promote guideline development, team training programs, and cooperation methods to support a person-centred culture and effective task shifting in emergency departments.

Care models for individuals with chronic multimorbidity: lessons for low- and middle-income countries

BACKGROUND

Patients with multiple long-term conditions requires understanding the existing care models to address their complex and multifaceted health needs. However, current literature lacks a comprehensive overview of the essential components, impacts, challenges, and facilitators of these care models, prompting this scoping review.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews guideline. Our search encompassed articles from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. The World Health Organization's health system framework was utilized to synthesis the findings. This framework comprises six building blocks (service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing, and leadership/governance) and eight key characteristics of good service delivery models (access, coverage, quality, safety, improved health, responsiveness, social and financial risk protection, and improved efficiency). Findings were synthesized qualitatively to identify components, impacts, barriers, and facilitators of care models.

RESULTS

A care model represents various collective interventions in the healthcare delivery aimed at achieving desired outcomes. The names of these care models are derived from core activities or major responsibilities, involved healthcare teams, diseases conditions, eligible clients, purposes, and care settings. Notable care models include the Integrated, Collaborative, Integrated-Collaborative, Guided, Nurse-led, Geriatric, and Chronic care models, as well as All-inclusive Care Model for the Elderly, IMPACT clinic, and Geriatric Patient-Aligned Care Teams (GeriPACT). Other care models (include Care Management Plus, Value Stream Mapping, Preventive Home Visits, Transition Care, Self-Management, and Care Coordination) have supplemented the main ones. Care models improved quality of care (such as access, patient-centeredness, timeliness, safety, efficiency), cost of care, and quality of life for patients that were facilitated by presence of shared mission, system and function integration, availability of resources, and supportive tools.

CONCLUSIONS

Care models were implemented for the purpose of enhancing quality of care, health outcomes, cost efficiency, and patient satisfaction by considering careful recruitment of eligible clients, appropriate selection of service delivery settings, and robust organizational arrangements involving leadership roles, healthcare teams, financial support, and health information systems. The distinct team compositions and their roles in service provision processes differentiate care models.

Changes in location and number of nurse consultations as the supply of general practitioners decreases in primary health care: six-year register-based follow-up cohort study in the city of Vantaa, Finland

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether the location and the number of nurse consultations have changed in response to the continuously decreasing number of GP consultations in the fourth-largest city in Finland. It has been suggested that nurse consultations are replacing GP consultations.

DESIGN

A retrospective register-based follow-up cohort study.

SETTING

Public primary health care in the City of Vantaa, Finland.

SUBJECTS

All documented face-to-face office-hour consultations with practical and registered nurses, and consultations with practical and registered nurse in the emergency department of Vantaa primary health care between 1 January 2009 and 31 December, 2014.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Change in the number of consultations with practical and registered nurses between 2009 and 2014 in primary health care both during office-hours and in the emergency department.

RESULTS

Over the follow-up period, the monthly median number of practical nurse consultations in the emergency department per 1000 inhabitants increased from 1.6 (interquartile range [IQR] 1.3-1.7) to 10.5 (10.3-12.2) (p < 0.001) and registered nurse consultations from a median of 3.6 (3.0-4.0) to 14.5 (13.0-16.6) (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant change in the median monthly number of office-hour consultations with practical or registered nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

It appears that in primary health care, medical consultations have shifted from GPs to nurses with lower education levels, and from care during office-hours to emergency care.

Exploring the association between primary care efficiency and health system characteristics across European countries: a two-stage data envelopment analysis

BACKGROUND

Primary care is widely seen as a core component of resilient and sustainable health systems, yet its efficiency is not well understood and there is a lack of evidence about how primary care efficiency is associated with health system characteristics. We examine this issue through the lens of diabetes care, which has a well-established evidence base for effective treatment and has previously been used as a tracer condition to measure health system performance.

METHODS

We developed a conceptual framework to guide the analysis of primary care efficiency. Using data on 18 European countries during 2010-2016 from several international databases, we applied a two-stage data envelopment analysis to estimate (i) technical efficiency of primary care and (ii) the association between efficiency and health system characteristics.

RESULTS

Countries varied widely in terms of primary care efficiency, with efficiency scores depending on the range of population characteristics adjusted for. Higher efficiency was associated with bonus payments for the prevention and management of chronic conditions, nurse-led follow-up, and a financial incentive or requirement for patients to obtain a referral to specialist care. Conversely, lower efficiency was associated with higher rates of curative care beds and financial incentives for patients to register with a primary care provider.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results underline the importance of considering differences in population characteristics when comparing country performance on primary care efficiency. We highlight several policies that could enhance the efficiency of primary care. Improvements in data collection would enable more comprehensive assessments of primary care efficiency across countries, which in turn could more effectively inform policymaking.

Perceived adherence and associated barriers to the national atopic dermatitis guideline: A survey among general practitioners

BACKGROUND

General practitioners (GPs) have an important role in managing patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Although pivotal, adherence to dermatological guidelines in general practice has not been assessed.

OBJECTIVES

To assess GPs' perceived adherence and barriers to the Dutch AD guideline.

METHODS

A survey was conducted among 391 GPs in the Netherlands between December 2021 and May 2022. GPs rated their perceived adherence and perceived barriers concerning five key recommendations of the AD guideline, following an existing framework. The correlation between perceived adherence and barriers was investigated using Spearman's rank correlation.

RESULTS

A total of 213 GPs (54%) participated. Perceived adherence rates varied across recommendations (43.7% to 98.1%). Lowest adherence was reported for recommendations concerning topical corticosteroids (TCS). Across all recommendations, patient factors (65.6%; SD 11.6) and lack of applicability to specific patient groups (29.5%; SD 10.5) were reported most frequently as barriers. The overall correlation between adherence and barriers was strongest for knowledge (ρ .55; SD .10) and attitude-related factors (range: ρ .40--.62).

CONCLUSION

GPs' perceived adherence and barriers vary substantially across recommendations of the AD guideline. In particular, GPs reported lower adherence to recommendations concerning TCS. Next to patient-related factors, strong correlations between adherence perceived by GPs and knowledge and attitude-related barriers suggest the importance of addressing these factors as well to improve adherence.

A situational analysis of human resource and non-communicable diseases management for community health workers in Chengdu, China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a major challenge to health economic cost and residents' health status. Community health workers (CHWs) are the gatekeeper of primary health care.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to conduct a situational analysis of current human resource and requirements of NCDs-related training among CHWs in Chengdu with regard to address to understand the suggestions for improvement of challenges and barriers.

METHODS

A descriptive online cross-sectional survey was conducted among CHWs (doctors and nurses) from 23 districts and counties in Chengdu. Sociodemographic and NCDs-related variables were collected. Univariate analysis and multiple response analysis were used to describe the characteristics of these variables.

RESULTS

711 doctors and 637 nurses completely responded. There were significant differences among gender, age, educational levels, professional title, working year, type of institution, urban circle and registration in general practice between doctors and nurses (P < 0.001). 60.6% of doctors were female, compared to 98.0% for nurses. 58.2% of doctors held a bachelor's degree compared with 45.4% of nurses, while 48.3% of nurses held a junior college degree compared with 25.7% of doctors. Higher levels of professional title and registration in general practice were found in doctors compared with nurses. The proportions of NCDs' category, NCDs-related roles and tasks, NCDs-related training contents and forms that CHWs have attend and hoped to gain more were significantly different between doctors and nurses (P < 0.001). In general, the proportions in nurses were much lower than those of doctors (P < 0.05). The top five diseases managed by CHWs were hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases and mental diseases. The five most reported roles performed among doctors included the distribution of health education (91.4%), following up (85.9%), establishing archives (71.3%), medicine adjustment (64.7%) and treatment implementation (52.0%). The top three diseases managed by nurses were same with doctors. The top four and five tasks were contact with patients or health services (39.6%) and referral (16.6%) in nurses. Most CHWs had received primary and common diseases-related trainings, but they had few opportunities to study in a tertiary hospital (40.4% in doctors and 20.9% in nurses, respectively), attend domestic academic conferences (26.9% in doctors vs. 9.7% in nurses), and take part in training courses (44.9% in nurses). CHWs hoped that the above-discussed training contents and forms could be provided more in the future. Besides basic skills related trainings, some specific skills related trainings should be strengthened.

CONCLUSION

The qualifications in doctors were much better than those of nurses. The roles performed by CHWs in NCDs management are varied form common and frequent disease management to subsequent follow up and supervision. CHWs hope to receive more desired and oriented trainings. There is a need for building capacity of CHWs, optimizing and defining CHWs' role, facilitating postgraduate medical education support and strengthening multidisciplinary collaboration would be effective in NCDs management.

Patterns of GP and nurse independent prescriber prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed in the community in England: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Physician-nurse task shifting, a process of delegation whereby tasks are moved to other specialized healthcare workers, is used in primary care in many countries to improve access, efficiency and quality of care. One such task is the prescription of medicines.

OBJECTIVES

To identify nurse independent prescriber (NIP) and GP numbers in England, the proportions and types of NIP and GP antibiotic prescriptions dispensed in the community, and the impact of COVID-19 on the volume, rate and types of antibiotic prescriptions dispensed.

METHODS

Descriptive population-based retrospective cohort study using routinely collected data on prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed in the community in England between January 2014 and October 2021.

RESULTS

Between 2014 and 2021, numbers (headcount) of NIPs whose prescriptions were dispensed in the community rose by 146% to 34 997. GP numbers (headcount) rose by 10% to 44 681. Of the 25.373 million antibiotic prescriptions dispensed between 2014 and 2021, NIPs were responsible for 8.6%. The rate of dispensed antibiotic prescriptions per prescriber per calendar year decreased (by 50% for NIPs and by 21% for GPs) between 2014 and 2020. This decreasing trend continued following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across both groups. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics (penicillins, macrolides, tetracyclines) were the most frequently dispensed across both NIPs and GPs.

CONCLUSIONS

NIPs are an increasing contributory influence on total antibiotic prescribing and should be included in antimicrobial stewardship efforts. Interventions for this group need to be tailored to the population and context in which they work.

How does the quality of care for type 2 diabetic patients benefit from GPs-nurses' teamwork? A staggered difference-in-differences design based on a French pilot program

In many countries, policies have explicitly encouraged primary care teams and inter-professional cooperation and skill mix, as a way to improve both productive efficiency gains and quality improvement. France faces barriers to developing team working as well as new and more advanced roles for health care professionals including nurses. We aim to estimate the impact of a national pilot experiment of teamwork between general practitioners (GPs) and advance practitioners nurses (APN)-who substitute and complement GPs-on yearly quality of care process indicators for type two diabetes patients (T2DP). Implemented by a not-for-profit meso-tier organisation and supported by the Ministry of Health, the pilot relied on the voluntary enrolment of newly GPs from 2012 to 2015; the staffing and training of APNs; skill mixing and new remuneration schemes. We use latent-response formulation models, control for endogeneity and selection bias by using controlled before-after and quasi-experimental design combining coarsened exact matching-prior to the treatment, at both GPs (435 treated vs 973 control) and T2DP levels -, with intention to treat (ITT; 18,310 in each group) and per protocol (PP, 2943 in each group) perspectives, as well as difference-in-differences estimates on balanced panel claims data from the National Health Insurance Fund linked to clinical data over the period 2010-2017. We show evidence of a positive and significant positive impact for T2DP followed-up by newly enrolled GPs in the pilot compared to the pretreatment period and the control group. The effect magnitudes were larger for PP than for ITT subsamples.

Developing modern primary care nursing in North Macedonia

BACKGROUND

Nurses have the potential to make a real impact on the health and well-being of people and populations and contribute to the realisation of delivery of Universal Health Coverage. However, in many parts of the world, the education and practice of nursing and nurses' position in health care and society are restricted by a range of social, cultural, economic and political factors. In North Macedonia, the Ministry of Health in partnership with the WHO Country Office launched a primary healthcare strategy supporting the development of nurses in primary care to fulfil their full scope of service.

AIMS

To present information on the education, practice and position of nursing, in particular primary care nursing, in North Macedonia and to describe the ongoing initiatives to support the further development of nursing.

APPROACH

Background documents reviewed, and visits to healthcare settings, organisations, interviews with individuals and groups and workshops undertaken in 2019-2020.

FINDINGS

Three key areas of development were identified: education of nurses, their service delivery and practice in primary care, and their position in health care and society, all underpinned by the need for workforce planning. The findings formed the basis of a 10-year plan: Making Change Happen: The Nursing and Midwifery Development Roadmap.

DEVELOPMENTS

To support the proposed primary care pilots, during the 2020/2021 COVID-19 pandemic, an on-line modular programme for primary care nurses was developed and delivered with the support of members drawn from The National Working Group for Moving Primary Care Nursing Forward in North Macedonia. Further work is planned to develop initial nurse education and to pilot changes in primary care.

CONCLUSIONS

The launch of the primary healthcare strategy stimulated initiatives to improve the education, position and practice of primary care nursing. The COVID-19 pandemic required flexibility and changes to the original plans.

Skill-Mix Changes Targeting Health Promotion and Prevention Interventions and Effects on Outcomes in all Settings (Except Hospitals): Overview of Reviews

Objectives: Skill-mix changes to step up health promotion and prevention are increasing, but there is limited evidence on their effects. Methods: Overview of reviews, based on a protocol. The search was carried out in six databases, screening was performed ensuring high interrater reliability. All countries, health professions and lay workers in all settings (except hospitals) were included, quality appraisals performed. Results: A total of 31 systematic reviews were included. Expanded roles performing outreach (e.g., home visits) had mostly positive effects on access and health outcomes, primarily for hard-to-reach groups. Task-shifting in colorectal or skin cancer screenings (performed by advanced practice nurses) were suggested effective; supporting roles (by community health workers) increased uptake in screenings, but based on limited evidence. Expanded roles of various professions focusing on lifestyle modification showed promising effects in most reviews, including weight, diet, smoking cessation and physical activity. Reviews on cost-effectiveness were based on limited evidence. Conclusion: Promising skill-mix changes included expanded roles providing lifestyle modifying interventions, task-shifting, and outreach roles for hard-to-reach groups, whereas evidence on costs was limited.

Innovative Remote Management Solutions for the Control of Hypertension

We stand at a critical juncture in the delivery of health care for hypertension. Blood pressure control rates have stagnated, and traditional health care is failing. Fortunately, hypertension is exceptionally well-suited to remote management, and innovative digital solutions are proliferating. Early strategies arose with the spread of digital medicine, long before the COVID-19 pandemic forced lasting changes to the way medicine is practiced. Highlighting one contemporary example, this review explores salient features of remote management hypertensive programs, including: an automated algorithm to guide clinical decisions, home (as opposed to office) blood pressure measurements, an interdisciplinary care team, and robust information technology and analytics. Dozens of emerging hypertension management solutions are contributing to a highly fragmented and competitive landscape. Beyond viability, profit and scalability are critical. We explore the challenges impeding large-scale acceptance of these programs and conclude with a hopeful look to the future when remote hypertension care will have dramatic impact on global cardiovascular health.

Cocreation in Health Workforce Planning to Shape the Future of the Health Care System in the Philippines

BACKGROUND

The Philippines passed landmark legislation in 2019 on universal health coverage, including reforms in the development of its health workforce, an essential building block of responsive health care systems.

HEALTH WORKFORCE PLANNING COCREATION PROCESS

We based our planning process on a model of cocreation defined as sharing power and decision making to solve problems collaboratively and build consensus around action. Through cocreation with policy makers, researchers, and other stakeholders, we performed projection studies on 10 selected health professions and estimated the need for primary care at national and subnational levels, which was the most extensive health workforce projection carried out by the Philippine Department of Health to date. We determined health workforce requirements based on target densities recommended by the World Health Organization and a health needs approach that considered epidemiological and sociodemographic factors. In consultation with stakeholders, we interpreted our analysis to guide recommendations to address issues related to health workforce quantity, skill mix, and distribution. These included a broad range of proposals, including task shifting, expanding scholarships and deployment, reforming health professionals' education, and pursuing a whole-of-society approach, which together informed the National Human Resources for Health Master Plan.

CONCLUSIONS

Our cocreation model offers lessons for policy makers, program managers, and researchers in low- and middle-income countries who deal with health workforce challenges. Cocreation led to relationship building between policy makers and researchers who jointly performed the research and identified solutions through open communication and agile coordination. To shape future health care systems that are responsive both during normal times and during crises, cocreation would be essential for evidence-informed policy development and policy-relevant research.

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Led to Changes in the Tasks of the Primary Care Workforce? An International Survey among General Practices in 38 Countries (PRICOV-19)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large and varying impact on primary care. This paper studies changes in the tasks of general practitioners (GPs) and associated staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the PRICOV-19 study of 5093 GPs in 38 countries were used. We constructed a scale for task changes and performed multilevel analyses. The scale was reliable at both GP and country level. Clustering of task changes at country level was considerable (25%). During the pandemic, staff members were more involved in giving information and recommendations to patients contacting the practice by phone, and they were more involved in triage. GPs took on additional responsibilities and were more involved in reaching out to patients. Problems due to staff absence, when dealt with internally, were related to more task changes. Task changes were larger in practices employing a wider range of professional groups. Whilst GPs were happy with the task changes in practices with more changes, they also felt the need for further training. A higher-than-average proportion of elderly people and people with a chronic condition in the practice were related to task changes. The number of infections in a country during the first wave of the pandemic was related to task changes. Other characteristics at country level were not associated with task changes. Future research on the sustainability of task changes after the pandemic is needed.

Nurse-led Telehealth Intervention for Rehabilitation (Telerehabilitation) Among Community-Dwelling Patients With Chronic Diseases: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronic diseases are putting huge pressure on health care systems. Nurses are widely recognized as one of the competent health care providers who offer comprehensive care to patients during rehabilitation after hospitalization. In recent years, telerehabilitation has opened a new pathway for nurses to manage chronic diseases at a distance; however, it remains unclear which chronic disease patients benefit the most from this innovative delivery mode.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to summarize current components of community-based, nurse-led telerehabilitation programs using the chronic care model; evaluate the effectiveness of nurse-led telerehabilitation programs compared with traditional face-to-face rehabilitation programs; and compare the effects of telerehabilitation on patients with different chronic diseases.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using 6 databases for articles published from 2015 to 2021. Studies comparing the effectiveness of telehealth rehabilitation with face-to-face rehabilitation for people with hypertension, cardiac diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, cancer, or stroke were included. Quality of life was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included physical indicators, self-care, psychological impacts, and health-resource use. The revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials was employed to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model and illustrated with forest plots.

RESULTS

A total of 26 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Telephone follow-ups were the most commonly used telerehabilitation delivery approach. Chronic care model components, such as nurses-patient communication, self-management support, and regular follow-up, were involved in all telerehabilitation programs. Compared with traditional face-to-face rehabilitation groups, statistically significant improvements in quality of life (cardiac diseases: standard mean difference [SMD] 0.45; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.81; P=.01; heterogeneity: X21=1.9; I2=48%; P=.16; chronic respiratory diseases: SMD 0.18; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.31; P=.007; heterogeneity: X22=1.7; I2=0%; P=.43) and self-care (cardiac diseases: MD 5.49; 95% CI 2.95 to 8.03; P<.001; heterogeneity: X25=6.5; I2=23%; P=.26; diabetes: SMD 1.20; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.84; P<.001; heterogeneity: X24=46.3; I2=91%; P<.001) were observed in the groups that used telerehabilitation. For patients with any of the 6 targeted chronic diseases, those with hypertension and diabetes experienced significant improvements in their blood pressure (systolic blood pressure: MD 10.48; 95% CI 2.68 to 18.28; P=.008; heterogeneity: X21=2.2; I2=54%; P=0.14; diastolic blood pressure: MD 1.52; 95% CI -10.08 to 13.11, P=.80; heterogeneity: X21=11.5; I2=91%; P<.001), and hemoglobin A1c (MD 0.19; 95% CI -0.19 to 0.57 P=.32; heterogeneity: X24=12.4; I2=68%; P=.01) levels. Despite these positive findings, telerehabilitation was found to have no statistically significant effect on improving patients' anxiety level, depression level, or hospital admission rate.

CONCLUSIONS

This review showed that telerehabilitation programs could be beneficial to patients with chronic disease in the community. However, better designed nurse-led telerehabilitation programs are needed, such as those involving the transfer of nurse-patient clinical data. The heterogeneity between studies was moderate to high. Future research could integrate the chronic care model with telerehabilitation to maximize its benefits for community-dwelling patients with chronic diseases.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42022324676; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=324676.

Nurse-led task-shifting strategies to substitute for mental health specialists in primary care: A systematic review

AIM

The study aimed to synthesize evidence comparing task-shifting interventions led by general practice nurses and mental health specialists in improving mental health outcomes of adults in primary care.

DESIGN

This study used a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

DATA SOURCES

Articles from the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane EBM Reviews, Web of Science Core Collection, and ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis published between 2000 and 2020 were included.

REVIEW METHODS

The review was arranged based on the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

RESULTS

Twelve articles met the eligibility criteria. Eight studies revealed that nurse-led intervention was significantly superior to its comparator. The review identified three major themes: training and supervision, single and collaborative care and psychosocial treatments.

CONCLUSION

Nurses could be temporarily employed to provide mental health services in the absence of mental health specialists as long as appropriate training and supervision was provided. This finding should be interpreted with caution due to the high risk of bias in the studies reviewed and the limited generalisability of their findings.

Task shifting from general practitioners to practice assistants and nurses in primary care: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries

Aim:

To describe variation in task shifting from GPs to practice assistants/nurses in 34 countries and to explain differences by analysing associations with characteristics of the GPs and their practices and features of the health care systems.

Background:

Redistribution of tasks and responsibilities in primary care are driven by changes in demand, such as the growing number of patients with chronic conditions, and workforce developments, including staff shortage. The need to manage an expanding range of services has led to adaptations in the skill-mix of primary care teams. These developments are hampered by barriers between professional domains.

Methods:

Data were collected between 2011 and 2013 through a cross-sectional survey among approximately 7,200 general practitioners (GPs) in 34 countries. Task shifting is measured through a composite score of GPs’ self-reported shifting of tasks. Independent variables at GP and practice level are as follows: innovativeness; part-time working; availability of staff; location and population of the practice. Country-level independent variables are as follows: demand for and supply of care, nurse prescribing, and professionalisation of practice assistants/nurses. Multilevel analysis is used to account for clustering of GPs in countries.

Findings:

Countries vary in the degree of task shifting. Regarding GP and practice characteristics, use of electronic health records and availability of support staff in the practice are positively associated with task shifting and GPs’ working hours negatively, in line with our hypotheses. Age of the GPs is, contrary to our hypothesis, positively related to task shifting. These variables explain 11% of the variance at GP level. Two country variables are related to task shifting: a lower percentage of practices without support staff in a country and nurse prescribing rights coincide with more task shifting. The percentage of practices without support staff has the strongest relationship, explaining 73% of the country variation.

The role of task shifting in reforming the working styles of pediatricians in Japan: A questionnaire survey

We aimed to shorten the working hours of pediatricians who are regularly experiencing overwork in Japan, recommended tasks for task shifting must be identified, and the impact of promoting task shifting on both the quality of medical care and working hours must be examined. Characteristics of the pediatric department must also be considered. A questionnaire survey was conducted with pediatricians working in hospitals across Japan. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed with pediatricians who did not recommend task shifting in the workplace as the explained variable and the attributes of the responding pediatricians (gender, age, primary workplace, number of pediatricians, pediatric medical management fee) as the explanatory variables. Details about the tasks recommended for task shifting and the impact of recommending task shifting on the quality of medical care and working hours were described. Questionnaires were sent nationwide to 848 hospitals that calculated pediatric inpatient medical management fees and received responses from 1539 pediatricians in 416 hospitals (response rate: 49%). As a characteristic of 231 (15%) doctors who thought that the task shift had not progressed at all at their place of employment, significant positive associations were found in men, working at national and public university hospitals, private university hospitals, and private hospitals and pediatric inpatient medical care management fee 1 hospitals. Task shifting was not recommended overall, as the task items that a majority of pediatricians marked as "transferred" were limited to "medication instructions" and "intravenous injection of antibiotics, etc" More than half of the respondents (60%, a total of 921 doctors) reported that the quality of medical care improved slightly or significantly when task shifting was promoted. The most frequent response to survey items querying the number of work hours that could be shortened through task shifting was "1 to 2 hours." The tasks suitable for task shifting were identified based on the characteristics of participants' pediatric departments. Results suggest that task shifting was not recommended in university hospitals and that promotion of task shifting could improve the quality of medical care and reduce the working hours of pediatricians.

A realist evaluation case study of the implementation of advanced nurse practitioner roles in primary care in Scotland

AIM

To evaluate Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) role implementation in primary care across Scotland in contributing to primary care transformation, and establish what works, for whom, why and in what context.

DESIGN

A realist evaluation using multiple case studies.

METHODS

Two phases, conducted March 2017 to May 2018: (1) multiple case studies of ANP implementation in 15 health boards across Scotland, deductive thematic analysis of interviews, documentary analysis; (2) in-depth case studies of five health boards, framework analysis of interviews and focus groups.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight informants were interviewed, and 72 documents were reviewed across both phases. ANP roles involved substitution for elements of the GP role for minor illness and injuries, across all ages. In rural areas ANPs undertook multiple nursing roles, were more autonomous and managed greater complexity. Mechanisms that facilitated implementation included: the national ANP definition; GP, primary care team and public engagement; funding for ANP education; and experienced GP supervisors. Contexts that affected mechanisms were national and local leadership; remote, rural and island communities; and workload challenges. Small-scale evaluations indicated that ANPs: make appropriate decisions; improve patient access and experience.

CONCLUSIONS

At the time of the evaluation, the implementation of ANP roles in primary care in Scotland was in early stages. Capacity to train ANPs in a service already under pressure was challenging. Shifting elements of GPs workload to ANPs freed up GPs but did little to transform primary care. Local evaluations provided some evidence that ANPs were delivering high-quality primary care services and enhanced primary care services to nursing homes or home visits.

IMPACT

ANP roles can be implemented with greater success and have more potential to transform primary care when the mechanisms include leadership at all levels, ANP roles that value advanced nursing knowledge, and appropriate education programmes delivered in the context of multidisciplinary collaboration.

Nurse-led service delivery models in primary care: a scoping review protocol

BACKGROUND

Ensuring equitable access to health care is reliant on the strengthening of primary care services. Increasing the utilisation of task-sharing and telehealth models is one strategy to improve patient access and outcomes in primary care. This protocol details the methodology of a proposed scoping review of nurse and midwife involvement in task-sharing and telehealth models in primary care.

AIM

To identify what task-sharing and telehealth models have been utilised in the primary care setting globally, and to capture the characteristics and health and economic outcomes of the models, and whether they are acceptable and feasible.

DESIGN & SETTING

This protocol was developed in line with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P).

METHOD

Five databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL] and Cochrane Library) will be searched for relevant studies published in English. Articles will be screened for inclusion in Covidence by three authors, with data extracted and synthesised using a chart designed for this review. Evidence will be mapped in both tabular and narrative forms to show characteristics, outcomes, and acceptability of the models of care.

CONCLUSION

Understanding how nurse- and midwife-led models of care may operate is crucial to strengthening service provision in primary care. Evidence on nurse and midwife-led primary care models will be collated and synthesised to inform future models.

"Not shifting, but sharing": stakeholders' perspectives on mental health task-shifting in Indonesia

Background

Task-shifting, the distribution of tasks among health workers to address health workforce shortage, has been widely used to tackle mental health treatment gaps. However, its implementation in Indonesia has still been rarely explored. This study aimed to explore stakeholders’ perspectives on the implementation of mental health task-shifting to nurses in Indonesia's primary health care.

Methods

An exploratory descriptive approach using in-depth interviews and focused group discussions (FGDs) was used. The study involved 19 stakeholders from the government's ministry directorates, professional organisations, and mental health practitioners. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results

Three themes emerged namely, task-shifting feasibility and acceptability, shared task implementation, and nurse role enhancement issues, with 14 sub-themes.

Conclusions

Task-shifting on mental health issues in the eye of Indonesian stakeholders is viewed as a matter of sharing and collaboration. Implementation of task-shifting in Indonesia may require policies in place and political will across stakeholders. Further scrutiny on task-shifting implementation is needed by considering the local context and national environment.

Processes supporting effective skill-mix implementation in general practice: A qualitative study

Objectives

Health policy and funding initiatives have addressed increasing workloads in general practice through the deployment of clinicians from different disciplinary backgrounds. This study examines how general practices in England operate with increasingly diverse groups of practitioners.

Methods

Five general practices were selected for maximum variation of the duration and diversity of skill-mix in their workforce. Individual interviews were recorded with management and administrative staff and different types of practitioner. Patient surveys and focus groups gathered patients’ perspectives of consulting with different practitioners. Researchers collaborated during coding and thematic analysis of transcripts of audio recordings.

Results

The introduction of a wide range of practitioners required significant changes in how practices dealt with patients requesting treatment, and these changes were not necessarily straightforward. The matching of patients with practitioners required effective categorization of health care patients’ reported problem(s) and an understanding of practitioners’ capabilities. We identified individual and organizational responses that could minimize the impact on patients, practitioners and practices of imperfections in the matching process.

Conclusions

The processes underpinning the redistribution of tasks from GPs to non-GP practitioners are complex. As practitioner employment under the Primary Care Network contracts continues to increase, it is not clear how the necessarily fine-grained adjustments will be made for practitioners working across multiple practices.

Acceptability of a nurse-led non-pharmacological complex intervention for knee pain: Nurse and patient views and experiences

OBJECTIVES

The overall purpose of this research programme is to develop and test the feasibility of a complex intervention for knee pain delivered by a nurse, and comprising both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions. In this first phase, we examined the acceptability of the non-pharmacological component of the intervention; issues faced in delivery, and resolved possible challenges to delivery.

METHODS

Eighteen adults with chronic knee pain were recruited from the community. The intervention comprised holistic assessment, education, exercise, weight-loss advice (where appropriate) and advice on adjunctive treatments such as hot/cold treatments, footwear modification and walking aids. After nurse training, the intervention was delivered in four sessions spread over five weeks. Participants had one to one semi-structured interview at the end of the intervention. The nurse was interviewed after the last visit of the last participant. These were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Themes were identified by one author through framework analysis of the transcripts, and cross-checked by another.

RESULTS

Most participants found the advice from the nurse easy to follow and were satisfied with the package, though some felt that too much information was provided too soon. The intervention changed their perception of managing knee pain, learning that it can be improved with self-management. However, participants thought that the most challenging part of the intervention was fitting the exercise regime into their daily routine. The nurse found discussion of goal setting to be challenging.

CONCLUSION

The nurse-led package of care is acceptable within a research setting. The results are promising and will be applied in a feasibility randomised-controlled trial.

Current state and future direction of task shifting in obstetric and gynecological care: A survey of obstetrician-gynecologists across Japan

To conduct a survey about task shifting in obstetric and gynecological care.A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted in Japanese hospitals using obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) who answered that task shifting was rarely used at their working environment as the outcome variable and using their personal attributes (sex, age, type of medical institution employed at, and regional characteristics) as predictor variables. Opinions were gathered regarding promoting task shifting impact on individual work duties.Responses were collected from 919 OB/GYNs (49.9% women, 50.8% <40 years). Characteristics' analysis of 34.6% of OB/GYNs who thought that task shifting was hardly used indicated that it was used significantly more at private university hospitals (odds ratio 5.33, 95% confidence interval: 2.33-12.18) than at national university hospitals (odds ratio 3.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.67-7.51). "Transfer of patients (from operating rooms to the ward)" and "securing the contrast agent line" were the only items related to the task shifting status for individual work duties that were identified by most respondents, revealing that task shifting is not progressing. More than half and 9% of the OB/GYNs said that task shifting progression would improve and decline medical care quality, respectively. Overall, 46% and 24% of the respondents thought that task shifting could reduce working hours by ">1 hour, but <2 hours"/day and "<1 hour"/day, respectively.The current study confirmed that OB/GYNs working at university hospitals believe that task shifting is not progressing in university hospitals and that the working environment is poor. Even if task shifting reduces the number of working hours per day by 2 hours, the working hours of these physicians still exceed the criteria for death by overwork. Thus, further working hour reduction measures are needed in addition to task shifting, such as consolidation of medical institutions dealing with deliveries.To promote task shifting in obstetrical and gynecological care in Japan, it is necessary to continue promoting policy-based, institutional, and educational guidance.

A pilot study of participatory and rapid implementation approaches to increase depression screening in primary care

BACKGROUND

Most individuals with depression go unidentified and untreated. In 2016 the US Preventive Services Task Force released guidelines recommending universal screening in primary care to identify patients with depression and to link them to treatment. Feasible, acceptable, and effective strategies to implement these guidelines are needed.

METHODS

This three-phased study employed rapid participatory methods to design and test strategies to increase depression screening at Penn Medicine, a large health system with 90 primary care practices. First, researchers solicited ideas and barriers from stakeholders to increase screening using an innovation tournament-a crowdsourcing method that invites stakeholders to submit ideas to address a workplace challenge. Second, a panel of stakeholders and scientists deliberated over and ranked the tournament ideas. An instant runoff election was held to select the winning idea. Third, the research team piloted the winning idea in a primary care practice using rapid prototyping, an approach that quickly refines and iterates strategy designs.

RESULTS

The innovation tournament yielded 31 ideas and 32 barriers from diverse stakeholders (12 primary care physicians, 10 medical assistants, 4 nurse practitioners, 2 practice managers, and 4 patient support assistants). A panel of 6 stakeholders and scientists deliberated on the ideas and voted for patient self-report (i.e., through tablet computers, text message, or an online patient portal) as the winning idea. The research team rapid prototyped tablets in one primary care practice with one physician over 5 five-hour shifts to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the strategy. Most patients, the physician, and medical assistants found the tablets acceptable and feasible. However, patient support assistants struggled to incorporate them in their workflow and expressed concerns about scaling up the process. Depression screening rates were higher using tablets compared to usual care; follow-up was comparable between tablets and usual care.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapid participatory methods engaged and amplified the voices of diverse stakeholders in primary care. These methods helped design an acceptable and feasible implementation strategy that showed promise for increasing depression screening in a primary care setting. The next step is to evaluate the strategy in a randomized controlled trial across primary care practices.

Task shifting from general practitioners to practice assistants and nurses in primary care: a cross-sectional survey in 34 countries

AIM

To describe variation in task shifting from general practitioners (GPs) to practice assistants/nurses in 34 countries, and to explain differences by analysing associations with characteristics of the GPs, their practices and features of the health care systems.

BACKGROUND

Redistribution of tasks and responsibilities in primary care are driven by changes in demand for care, such as the growing number of patients with chronic conditions, and workforce developments, including staff shortage. The need to manage an expanding range of services has led to adaptations in the skill mix of primary care teams. However, these developments are hampered by barriers between professional domains, which can be rigid as a result of strict regulation, traditional attitudes and lack of trust.

METHODS

Data were collected between 2011 and 2013 through a cross-sectional survey among approximately 7200 GPs in 34 countries. The dependent variable 'task shifting' is measured through a composite score of GPs' self-reported shifting of tasks. Independent variables at GP and practice level are: innovativeness; part-time working; availability of staff; location and population of the practice. Country-level independent variables are: institutional development of primary care; demand for and supply of care; nurse prescribing as an indicator for professional boundaries; professionalisation of practice assistants/nurses (indicated by professional training, professional associations and journals). Multilevel analysis is used to account for the clustering of GPs in countries.

FINDINGS

Countries vary in the degree of task shifting by GPs. Regarding GP and practice characteristics, use of electronic health record applications (as an indicator for innovativeness) and age of the GPs are significantly related to task shifting. These variables explain only little variance at the level of GPs. Two country variables are positively related to task shifting: nurse prescribing and professionalisation of primary care nursing. Professionalisation has the strongest relationship, explaining 21% of the country variation.

Extended roles in primary care when physiotherapist-initiated referral to X-ray can save time and reduce costs

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate an extended role for the physiotherapist in primary care in referring patients to plain X-ray.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was set in a single region in Sweden. It included 20 physiotherapists who were educated in a 1-day training in performing referral to X-ray, along with 107 patients with musculoskeletal disorders who were referred to X-ray. We evaluated referral quality and patient and physiotherapist satisfaction and calculated healthcare and patient costs.

RESULTS

All referrals fulfilled the basic requirements of quality, and 78% were classified as good, fulfilling all criteria. Both patients and physiotherapists were satisfied with the extended role for the physiotherapist that decreased the waiting time to diagnosis and to adequate treatment. Costs were reduced for patients (by €53/patient) and healthcare (by €6286.2/107 patients). The cost to visit a physician was twice that of a physiotherapist visit.

CONCLUSIONS

An extended role for physiotherapists in primary care in referring patients to X-ray was effective and safe for patients and reduced costs for patients and for healthcare. Physiotherapists in primary care were able to refer patients to X-ray after a 1 day of training, and the extended role freed up 45 min of physician time for each patient with a musculoskeletal disorder in need of an X-ray.

Nurse practitioner led model of after-hours emergency care in an Australian rural urgent care Centre: health service stakeholder perceptions

Background

The challenges of providing and accessing quality health care in rural regions have long been identified. Innovative solutions are not only required but are also vital if effective, timely and equitable access to sustainable health care in rural communities is to be realised. Despite trial implementation of some alternative models of health care delivery, not all have been evaluated and their impacts are not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore the views of staff and stakeholders of a rural health service in relation to the implementation of an after-hours nurse practitioner model of health care delivery in its Urgent Care Centre.

Methods

This qualitative study included semi-structured individual and group interviews with professional stakeholders of a rural health service in Victoria, Australia and included hospital managers and hospital staff who worked directly or indirectly with the after-hours NPs in addition to local GPs, GP practice nurses, and paramedics. Thematic analysis was used to generate key themes from the data.

Results

Four themes emerged from the data analysis: transition to change; acceptance of the after-hours nurse practitioner role; workforce sustainability; and rural context.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the nurse practitioner-led model is valued by rural health practitioners and could reduce the burden of excessive after-hour on-call duties for rural GPs while improving access to quality health care for community members. As pressure on rural urgent care centres further intensifies with the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, serious consideration of the nurse practitioner-led model is recommended as a desirable and effective alternative.

Task shifting in primary care to tackle healthcare worker shortages: An umbrella review

BACKGROUND

Task shifting is an approach to help address the shortage of healthcare workers through reallocating human resources but its impact on primary care is unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of reviews describing task shifts from physicians to allied healthcare workers in primary care and its impact on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Six electronic databases were searched up to 15 December 2020, to identify reviews describing task shifting in primary care. Two reviewers independently screened the references for relevant studies, extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of included reviews using AMSTAR-2.

RESULTS

Twenty-one reviews that described task shifting in primary care were included. Task shifted include provision of care for people with chronic conditions, medication prescribing, and health education. We found that task shifting could potentially improve several health outcomes such as blood pressure, HbA1c, and mental health while achieving cost savings. Key elements for successful implementation of task shifting include collaboration among all parties, a system for coordinated care, provider empowerment, patient preference, shared decision making, training and competency, supportive organisation system, clear process outcome, and financing.

CONCLUSION

Evidence suggests that allied healthcare workers such as pharmacists and nurses can potentially undertake substantially expanded roles to support physicians in primary care in response to the changing health service demand. Tasks include providing care to patients, independent prescribing, counselling and education, with comparable quality of care.

The burden of boundedness and the implication for nursing: A scoping review

Background

In the COVID‐19 pandemic, many people experienced temporal boundedness in different ways (e.g., home, country, persons, and rules). However, being bound is also a permanent experience for chronically ill or handicapped people with sometimes serious consequences. To be able to recognize the phenomenon, a clear definition is necessary. In the literature, though, boundedness shows up as a very multifaceted phenomenon.

Objectives

Exploring and conceptualizing the phenomenon of boundedness taking into account the various forms and the consequences for nursing.

Methods

A scoping review using the framework of Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA statement (PRISMA‐ScR) to verify the fullness of the review.

Data Sources

Online dictionaries and theoretical and empirical publications in CINAHL, Medline via PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, Scopus, WISO. A total of 34 sources were included.

Results

Boundedness as a contextual concept is ambiguous. There are three basic causes: an acquired condition, personal obligations, arranged conditions, two principal courses: enduring and temporary, and seven types of being bound: to one or more person(s), to a place/position, to/in an object, to thoughts/opinions, to activities, to/in substances and to time. Examples of types are bedbound, culture‐bound, homebound, time‐bound, wheelchair‐bound and are particularly relevant for care. The consequences are manifold, physically, as well as mentally, and socially.

Conclusion

To reduce or avoid the burdens caused by boundedness, the concept must be implemented in nursing education and nursing practice. To this end, nursing research must further specify the types of boundedness in concept analyses and develop suitable interventions.

Can General Practitioners Be More Productive? The Impact of Teamwork and Cooperation with Nurses on GP Activities

The integration of primary care organizations and interprofessional cooperation is encouraged in many countries to both improve the productive and allocative efficiency of care provision and address the unequal geographical distribution of general practitioners (GPs). In France, a pilot experiment promoted the vertical integration of and teamwork between GPs and nurses. This pilot experiment relied on the staffing and training of nurses; skill mixing, including the authorization to shift tasks from GPs to nurses; and new remuneration schemes. This article evaluates the overall impact of this pilot experiment over the period 2010-2017 on GP activities based on the following indicators: number of working days, patients seen at least once, patients registered, and visits delivered. We control for endogeneity and reduce selection bias by using a case-control design combining coarsened exact matching and difference-in-differences estimates on panel data. We find a small positive impact on the number of GP working days (+1.2%) following enrollment and a more pronounced effect on the number of patients seen (+7.55%) or registered (+6.87%). However, we find no effect on the number of office and home visits. In this context, cooperation and teamwork between GPs and nurses seem to improve access to care for patients.

Economic evaluation of nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing long-term psychosocial outcome: a comparison to care-as-usual

OBJECTIVE

To examine the cost-effectiveness of nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing psychosocial outcome at 6 months post stroke, compared with care-as-usual.

DESIGN

Economic evaluation within a comparative effectiveness research design.

SETTING

Primary care (2016-2017) and community settings (2011-2013) in the Netherlands.

PARTICIPANTS

Persons who suffered from ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, or a transient ischaemic attack and were discharged home after visiting the emergency department, hospitalisation or inpatient rehabilitation.

INTERVENTIONS

Nurse-led stroke aftercare at 6 months post stroke addressing psychosocial functioning by providing screening, psycho-education, emotional support and referral to specialist care when needed. Care-as-usual concerned routine follow-up care including secondary prevention programmes and a consultation with the neurologist at 6 weeks post stroke.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Main outcome measure of cost-effectiveness was quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) estimated by the quality of life measured by the five-dimensional, three-level EuroQol. Costs were assessed using a cost-questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and social participation (Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation) restrictions subscale.

RESULTS

Health outcomes were significantly better in stroke aftercare for QALYs (Δ=0.05; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.09) and social participation (Δ=4.91; 95% CI 1.89 to 7.93) compared with care-as-usual. Total societal costs were €1208 higher in stroke aftercare than in care-as-usual (95% CI -€3881 to €6057). Healthcare costs were in total €1208 higher in stroke aftercare than in care-as-usual (95% CI -€3881 to €6057). Average costs of stroke aftercare were €91 (SD=€3.20) per person. Base case cost-effectiveness analyses showed an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €24 679 per QALY gained. Probability of stroke aftercare being cost-effective was 64% on a €50 000 willingness-to-pay level.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing psychosocial functioning showed to be a low-cost intervention and is likely to be a cost-effective addition to care-as-usual. It plays an important role by screening and addressing psychosocial problem, not covered by usual care.

Nurse-led stroke aftercare addressing long-term psychosocial outcome: a comparison to care-as-usual

PURPOSE

To examine whether nurse-led stroke aftercare is beneficial for long-term psychosocial outcome of community-dwelling persons with stroke.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Comparative effectiveness research design in which a prospective stroke aftercare cohort (n = 87) was compared to care-as-usual (n = 363) at six- and 12-months post stroke. Changes over time in cognitive and emotional problems experienced in daily life, fatigue and stroke impact on daily life were examined for stroke aftercare only. Multilevel modelling was used to compare stroke aftercare to care-as-usual concerning anxiety and depression symptoms, social participation and quality of life, over time.

RESULTS

Sample characteristics did not differ between cohorts except for stroke type and on average, more severe stroke in the stroke aftercare cohort (p < 0.05). Following stroke aftercare, anxiety and emotional problems decreased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas care-as-usual remained stable over time in terms of anxiety. No significant changes over time were observed on the other outcome domains.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse-led stroke aftercare showed to be beneficial for emotional well-being in comparison to care-as-usual. Providing psychoeducation and emotional support seem effective elements but adding other therapeutic elements such as self-management strategies might increase the effectiveness of nurse-led stroke aftercare.Implications for rehabilitationRoutine stroke follow-up care should pay attention to psychosocial and emotional outcome in a systematic manner, in addition to secondary prevention.Healthcare professionals such as (specialized) nurses are needed to appropriately address the hidden cognitive and emotional consequences of stroke.Providing psychoeducation and emotional support in stroke aftercare diminish insecurities and worries in community-dwelling persons with stroke, leading to better outcomes.

East Midlands knee pain multiple randomised controlled trial cohort study: cohort establishment and feasibility study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Knee pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of disability. The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence OA guidelines recommend education, exercise and weight loss advice (if overweight) as core interventions before pharmacological adjuncts. However, implementation of these in primary care is often suboptimal. This study aims to develop a complex intervention with non-pharmacological and pharmacological components that can be delivered by nurses. The feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, and feasibility of undertaking a future cohort randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be explored.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In phase 1, we will develop a training programme for nurses and evaluate the fidelity and acceptability of the non-pharmacological element of the intervention. Fidelity checklists completed by the nurse will be compared with video analysis of the treatment sessions. Patients and nurses will be interviewed to determine the acceptability of the intervention and explore challenges to intervention delivery. The non-pharmacological component will be modified based on the findings. In phase 2, we will assess the feasibility of conducting a cohort RCT comprising both the pharmacological and modified non-pharmacological components. We will compare three groups: group A will receive the non-pharmacological components delivered before pharmacological components; group B will receive pharmacological components followed by the non-pharmacological components; and group C (control arm) will continue to receive usual care. Study outcomes will be collected at three time points: baseline, 13 and 26 weeks after randomisation. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a sample of participants from each of the two active intervention arms.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol was approved by the East Midlands-Derby Research Ethics Committee (18/EM/0288) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (protocol v4.0, 10/02/2020). The study will be reported in accordance with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidance and standards. The results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03670706.

Effectiveness of an ear and hearing care training program for frontline health workers: A before and after study

Background:

Delegating ear and hearing care (EHC) tasks to frontline health workers may help to improve muchneeded access to this specialized care. Primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) need to acquire relevant knowledge and skill to recognize, refer, and/or treat simple ear problems. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an EHC training program for PHCWs.

Methodology:

The training intervention was a 2day course based on an adapted WHO training resource in EHC for frontline workers. A pre and posttest study design was undertaken with the assessment of EHC at two time points using the same questionnaire at baseline and at completion of the training.

Results:

One hundred and ninety PHCWs were recruited for the study. Overall, there was a statistically significant improvement from baseline to course completion. However, participants’ scores in the domain of knowledge for risk factors were slightly low compared to other domains (54.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.0%–56.6%), and this improved significantly following the training (72.7%, 95% CI: 71.0%–74.0%). A potential confounder in this evaluation may be that of the scores recorded at pretest, which may change in the posttest due to regression to the mean phenomenon.

Conclusion:

The findings from this study indicate that the training program demonstrated the potential to be an effective way to improve knowledge of EHC, and we suggest the inclusion of “primary ear care” as a component of primary health care.

Advanced practice nurses, registered nurses and medical practice assistants in new care models in Swiss primary care: a focused ethnography of their professional roles

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to analyse roles and tasks of advanced practice nurses (APNs), registered nurses (RNs) without advanced practice education and medical practice assistants (MPAs) with regard to chronic care in Swiss primary care (PC). The objective of this study was to explore the potential of new care models, involving these health professionals, which could meet changing future healthcare needs.

DESIGN

An ethnographic design comprising semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations was conducted.

SETTING

Health professionals who worked in 10 primary care practices in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were included in the study.

PARTICIPANTS

In total, 16 interviews were conducted with four APNs, six MPAs, two RNs and four general practitioners (GPs). Nine of the health professionals were subsequently observed in their primary care practice.

RESULTS

APNs and MPAs were both involved in chronic care in the PC practice. While APNs cared for older, multimorbid patients with more complex needs, MPAs were involved in counselling of younger patients with chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes. Additionally, APNs were involved in many home visits and visits in elderly peoples - and nursing homes. APNs worked with a high degree of autonomy while MPAs had worked mostly in delegation. Task division between GPs and APNs or MPAs was not clear in every case yet.

CONCLUSIONS

APNs and MPAs have a high potential to contribute to optimal care in new care models, which address needs of the elderly population. The experience from our sample may inform international health policymakers and practitioners about the tasks and responsibilities those health professionals can take over in PC when implementing new models of care. The practical experience with new models of care involving APNs and MPAs may also influence the future regulation with regard to the scope of practice of these health professionals in Switzerland.

Integration of nurses in general practice: A thematic synthesis of the perspectives of general practitioners, practice nurses and patients living with chronic illness

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore the views of general practitioners, practice nurses and patients on interprofessional collaboration in general practice and to understand to what extent the nurse-doctor relationship meets their needs and expectations.

BACKGROUND

To address future challenges of primary health care, there is a need for integrated interprofessional collaboration care systems with a patient-centred focus. Worldwide, there is an integration of nurses in general practice. However, in a transitioning Belgian context little is known about the perspectives of three key stakeholder groups.

DESIGN

The results of four qualitative descriptive primary studies were triangulated and a secondary analysis resulted in a thematic synthesis within a pragmatic research paradigm.

METHODS

Primary data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews with 7 general practitioners, 19 practice nurses and 21 patients living with chronic illness in 26 primary care centres with different nurse integration levels. We conducted a secondary analysis for the thematic synthesis of the different stakeholders' perspectives. This study was reported in accordance with the COREQ checklist.

RESULTS

Four overarching themes were found as follows: vision and mission at general practice level, patient-centred care, practice nurse role development and interprofessional collaboration. Interprofessional collaboration within general practice ensures better response to patient needs. Evolution of the practice nurse role to autonomous decision-making can be facilitated by clear vision and mission, team communication, complementarity of responsibilities and trust-based professional relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

The key for patient-centred care in a well-organised practice is a clear vision and mission and well-defined task description for interprofessional collaboration. General practice is urging for systematic guidance for the sustainable integration of a practice nurse.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Our study highlights opportunities and challenges to nurse integration in general practice from key stakeholders' perspectives, which can inform other transitioning contexts.

Facilitators and barriers to implementing task shifting: Expanding the scope of practice of clinical technologists in the Netherlands

Despite recent studies confirming task shifting is both safe and effective, its implementation has proven difficult in practice. So too in the Netherlands, where legal barriers enforcing strict professional boundaries have historically limited task shifting. In recent years, Dutch policymakers have experimented with temporary expanded scopes of practice (ESP) for several professional groups, with the aim to facilitate task shifting in order to increase the overall effectiveness and efficiency of health care. The Clinical Technologist (CT), is an emerging new professional group that has received such a temporary ESP pending an evaluation. This paper reports the qualitative findings of the implementation process of providing CTs with an temporary ESP. Data collection consisted of 69 semi-structured interviews, 3 focus group interviews and 9 participant observations, conducted between September 2015 and October 2017. Analysis was conducted through an 'editing analysis style' whereby data were categorized using the conceptual framework of Grol & Wensing's implementation model. The study suggests that social features are of great importance when implementing task shifting. In situations with few social barriers, organizational and administrative barriers seem to be less dominant, thereby expediting the overall implementation process. Consequently, we recommend that policymakers should prioritize social features over organizational features when implementing task shifting.

What is the cost of delivering routine vaccinations at GP practices in England? A comparative time-driven activity-based costing analysis

Background: The expansion of available vaccines in recent years has increased the overall costs of the vaccine program and put pressure on providers responsible for vaccination. In England in 2016-17, GP practices responsible for vaccinating their local population were paid £227 million. However, the costs to general practice of delivering the program and the factors influencing these costs are unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the costs of delivering the routine vaccination program at GP practices in England, to identify organizational factors impacting costs, and to compare these to the funding received.Methods: Time Driven Activity Based Costing was undertaken at a convenience sample of nine geographically and socio-economically diverse GP practices in 2017-2018. Cost data were gathered for the preceding year using a survey and clinical and administrative staff kept activity logs for a 2-week period.Results: The mean cost of delivering a childhood vaccination appointment was £18.20 (range £9.71-£25.97) and an adult appointment cost £14.05 (range £7.59-£20.88), of which 75% was for staff, 24% for facility costs and 1% for consumables. Organizational factors contributing to lower costs include: shorter length of allocated appointment; greater use of administrative and reception staff; lower working time for practice manager and practice nurse; and use of health-care assistants for adult vaccinations. The costs identified are lower than payments at all practices.Conclusions: Funding received for vaccination activities was higher than costs at included practices. Several organizational factors have been identified that impact on program delivery costs that could be modified.

Capacity building in health care professions within the Gulf cooperation council countries: paving the way forward

BACKGROUND

There is a worldwide shortage of health care workers. This problem is particularly severe in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries because of shortages in certain medical disciplines, due to a lack of nationally-trained professionals and a less developed educational system compared to other high income countries. Consequently, GCC countries are heavily dependent on an expatriate health care workforce; a problem exacerbated by high turnover. We discuss challenges and potential strategies for improving and strengthening capacity building efforts in health care professions in the GCC.

MAIN TEXT

In the GCC, there are 139 schools providing professional health education in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, midwifery, and other specialties. Health education school density reported for the GCC countries ranges between 2.2 and 2.8 schools per one million inhabitants, except in Oman where it is 4.0 per one million inhabitants. The GCC countries rely heavily on expatriate health professionals. The number of physicians and nurses in the GCC countries are 2.1 and 4.5 per 1000 respectively, compared to 2.8 and 7.9 among member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Interestingly, the number of dentists and pharmacists is higher in the GCC countries compared to OECD countries. A nationally trained health care workforce is essential for the GCC countries. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy are two identified areas where growth and development are recommended. Custom-tailored continuing medical education and continuing professional development (CPD) programs can augment the skills of health practitioners, and allow for the expansion of their scope of practice when warranted.

CONCLUSION

Capacity building can play an essential role in addressing the major health challenges and improving the overall quality of health care in the region. Efforts aimed at increasing the number of locally-trained graduates and developing and implementing need-based CPD programs are vital for capacity building and lifelong learning in health care professions.

Skill mix in Swiss primary care group practices - a nationwide online survey

BACKGROUND

Increasing chronic conditions and multimorbidity is placing growing service pressures on health care, especially primary care services. This comes at a time when GP workforce shortages are starting to be felt across Switzerland, placing a threat on the sustainability of good access to primary care. By establishing multiprofessional teams in primary care, service capacity is increased and the pressures on the GP workforce can be alleviated. The roles of non-medical health professions in primary care are not established so far in Switzerland and the personnel composition of primary care group practices is not known. Therefore this study aims to provide insights into the current composition, educational background and autonomy of the these new professional roles in primary care.

METHODS

For this descriptive exploratory study a web-based online survey methodology was used. Group practices were defined as being a medical practice with any specialisation where at least three physicians work together in a team. Based on this restriction 240 eligible group practices were identified in Switzerland. The following four tertiary-level health professions were included in the study: nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and dietitians. Additionally medical practice assistants with couselling competencies were included.

RESULTS

A total of 102 practices answered the questionnaire which is equivalent to an answer rate of 43%. The sample included data from 17 cantons. 46.1% of the practices employed non-physician health professionals. Among the tertiary-level health professions, physiotherapists were the most frequent profession with a total of 78 physiotherapists over all group practices, followed by nurses (43), dietitians (34) and occupational therapists (3). In practices which employ those professionals their average number per practice was 3.4. 25.5% of the practices had health professionals employed with advanced roles and competencies.

CONCLUSION

The results from this study demonstrate that while nearly 50% of groups practices have established non-physician professionals, only 25% of practices integrate these professionals with advanced roles. Compared with other countries, there would appear to be significant scope to extent and broaden the uptake of non-physician professionals in primary care in Switzerland. Clear policy direction along with supporting regulation and financing arrangements are required.

The Effects of Nurse-Led Multidisciplinary Team Management on Glycosylated Hemoglobin, Quality of Life, Hospitalization, and Help-Seeking Behavior of People with Diabetes Mellitus

AIM

To evaluate the effect of community-nurse-led multidisciplinary team management on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), quality of life (QOL), hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHODS

A quasi-experimental trial was conducted among people with type 2 DM from two community centers in China. The intervention group (n = 88) received community-nurse-led multidisciplinary team management for 2 years, while the control group (n = 91) received usual care. Data regarding HbA1c, QOL (assessed by the SF-36), hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior were collected at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months.

RESULTS

During the 24-month project, the intervention group demonstrated 1.08% reduction in HbA1c, whereas the control group achieved an increase of 0.45%. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The intervention group showed greater increased in QOL scores (from 66.43 to 70.47, P < 0.001), more decrease in hospitalization (OR = 2.981, 95% CI: 1.016, 8.752 versus OR = 1.189, 95% CI: 0.411, 3.444; P = 0.028) when compared with the control group. The percentage increase of seeking help from nurses in the intervention group (from 12.5% to 57.3%, P < 0.001) was significantly greater than that in the control group after the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse-led multidisciplinary team management is an effective intervention for improving glycemic control, QOL, hospitalization, and help-seeking behavior for people with DM in a community.

A Protocol-Driven Assessment Promotes a More Accurate Diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

A diverse range of conditions share symptoms commonly identified with irritable bowel syndrome. The objective of this study was to examine the diagnostic process in identifying additional diagnoses in women who are attending a clinic for evaluation of symptoms suggestive of irritable bowel syndrome. A retrospective audit was conducted of anonymous data gathered on consecutive female patients presenting to a specialist nurse-led service in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a provisional diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome. A protocol containing routine pathology investigations and physical examination was used. Alarm features were identified and pertinent investigations were implemented. Rectocele was detected on rectal examination. Final diagnosis was noted and compared with baseline symptom data. Of 231 patients, 187 initially met Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndrome. Red flags and abnormal investigations led to an alternate diagnosis in a further 27 patients. Of the 160 patients with irritable bowel syndrome, 31% were found to have a rectocele. They were seven times more likely to report a symptom associated with pelvic floor dysfunction (p < .0001) and four times more likely to report constipation (p = .0003). The use of a protocol including routine investigations and physical examination improves diagnostic yield. Pelvic floor dysfunction should be considered in those with unique symptom patterns and rectocele in the setting of irritable bowel syndrome.

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of nurse-led care involving education and engagement of patients and a treat-to-target urate-lowering strategy versus usual care for gout: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

In the UK, gout management is suboptimum, with only 40% of patients receiving urate-lowering therapy, usually without titration to achieve a target serum urate concentration. Nurses successfully manage many diseases in primary care. We compared nurse-led gout care to usual care led by general practitioners (GPs) for people in the community.

METHODS

Research nurses were trained in best practice management of gout, including providing individualised information and engaging patients in shared decision making. Adults who had experienced a gout flare in the previous 12 months were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive nurse-led care or continue with GP-led usual care. We assessed patients at baseline and after 1 and 2 years. The primary outcome was the percentage of participants who achieved serum urate concentrations less than 360 μmol/L (6 mg/dL) at 2 years. Secondary outcomes were flare frequency in year 2, presence of tophi, quality of life, and cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated based on intention to treat with multiple imputation. This study is registered with www.ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01477346.

FINDINGS

517 patients were enrolled, of whom 255 were assigned nurse-led care and 262 usual care. Nurse-led care was associated with high uptake of and adherence to urate-lowering therapy. More patients receiving nurse-led care had serum urate concentrations less than 360 μmol/L at 2 years than those receiving usual care (95% vs 30%, RR 3·18, 95% CI 2·42-4·18, p<0·0001). At 2 years all secondary outcomes favoured the nurse-led group. The cost per QALY gained for the nurse-led intervention was £5066 at 2 years.

INTERPRETATION

Nurse-led gout care is efficacious and cost-effective compared with usual care. Our findings illustrate the benefits of educating and engaging patients in gout management and reaffirm the importance of a treat-to-target urate-lowering treatment strategy to improve patient-centred outcomes.

FUNDING

Arthritis Research UK.

Nurse Prescribing From the Global Vantage Point: The Intersection Between Role and Policy

Nurses around the world are increasingly prescribing and managing pharmaceutical agents. Prescribing by nurses is currently based on varying nursing roles, depending on national and regional norms and practices. Prescribing occurs within the advance practice, advanced level, and task-sharing roles, depending on the country. It is evolving both within and outside of traditional regulatory frameworks. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe the nurse prescribing globally among various nursing roles that support and facilitate the practice. We gathered practice, statutory, and regulatory information from gray and peer-reviewed literature, Google search and Google scholar, government websites, PubMed, and CINAHL electronic databases. In contrast to previous global policy reviews that focus primarily on high-income nations, our findings suggest that nurse prescribing occurs extensively in all six continents. Nurse prescribing within the context of advanced practice nursing occurs mostly in high-income countries. However, the predominant model of nurse prescribing from the global context occurs within the advanced level role by postbasic or postprofessional nurses. Additional nurse prescribing occurs through less formal task-sharing arrangements, primarily in low- to middle-income countries. In general, nurse prescribing is evolving rapidly around the world but within highly variable roles and regulatory frameworks. Codifying these roles by strengthening of educational and regulatory standards may serve to enhance the health system capacity, especially in low- to middle-income countries.

Health Management Workforce for India in 2030

Introduction: Since its launch in the year 2005, National Rural Health Mission (NHM) has exhibited a felt need for health management training in India against the background of a shortfall of trained public health managers in the country. In India's context, health (hospital) management professionals are those, who are working in the health sector, belonging to medical and non-medical backgrounds and are trained in health (hospital) management/administration programs or other public health programs (for e.g., Master of Public Health) wherein health (hospital) management/administration is significant part of the curriculum. The presence of trained management professionals in the health sector has grown over the years. Objectives: To estimate the supply, need and requirement for health management professionals for India in the year 2030. Materials and methods: The supply data for health management professionals was calculated based on the output from various academic programs related to health management/administration and other public health programs. Need was calculated using "service target approach" and benchmark analysis with 2.97 health managers per 100,000 population (NACCHO 2011). Supply-need gap was estimated using normative need as base number for projections whereas for rest of the years (2018-2030) projections were done at a constant growth rate as per India's population projections. Results: The overall supply capacity of trained health management professionals was 3,463 for 2017. However, based upon a service target approach India requires 11,304 health management professionals in 2017. If India is to reach the normative standards of 2.97 health managers per 100,000 population, the country would need 39,774 health management professionals in 2017. This need would increase to approximately 44,936 health management professionals by the year 2030 to maintain the normative standard of 2.97 health managers per 100,000 population. Conclusions: The supply side will match the requirement of HMPs earliest by the year 2026 in a high seat occupancy scenario.Moreover, there is a need to improve the quality of the output in terms of an explicitly stated and standardized competency framework that is tailored to the Indian context.