Estimating the number of required nurses in different types of hospitals: An application of the workload indicators of staffing needs (WISNS) method

BACKGROUND

Health system performance depends on the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of health workforces. Policymakers seek whether the number of nurses is optimally matched based on patients' needs. This study aimed to assess the workforce stock, workload activities, activity standards, and workload pressure to determine the number of required nurses in different types of hospitals in Iran.

METHODS

This study applied the workload indicators of staffing needs (WISNs) method and was conducted in 22 surgical and internal medicine wards at five hospitals in the southwest of Iran during six months. A time-motion study, and several group discussions, interviews were used to extract the required data. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

All selected hospitals faced nursing shortages. The highest shortage (-47) and workload pressure (WISN ratio 0.45) were observed in the general-educational hospitals. In the specialized hospitals, the workload pressure was high (WISN ratio 0.49). The lowest shortage belonged to the private hospital. Based on our assessment, in all of the hospitals, nurses typically worked overtime due to high workload. The studied hospitals covered an average of 25% of their shortage with nursing overtime working. We noted that nurses were predominantly occupied with health service and supportive activities (≈90% of their time).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the WISN method, all of the hospitals faced nursing shortages from moderate to high. However, it would be essential to consider current labor market analysis based on accurate data to adopt appropriate policies in HRH planning.

Rationing in health systems: A critical review

Background: It is difficult to provide health care services to all those in need of such services due to limited resources and unlimited demands. Thus, priority setting and rationing have to be applied. This study aimed at critically examining the concept of rationing in health sector and identifying its purposes, influencing factors, mechanisms, and outcomes. Methods: The critical interpretive synthesis methodology was used in this study. PubMed, Cochrane, and Proquest databases were searched using the related key words to find related documents published between 1970 and 2015. In total, 161 published reports were reviewed and included in the study. Thematic content analysis was applied for data analysis. Results: Health services rationing means restricting the access of some people to useful or potentially useful health services due to budgetary limitation. The inherent features of the health market and health services, limited resources, and unlimited needs necessitate health services rationing. Rationing can be applied in 4 levels: health care policy- makers, health care managers, health care providers, and patients. Health care rationing can be accomplished through fixed budget, benefit package, payment mechanisms, queuing, copayments, and deductibles. Conclusion: This paper enriched our understanding of health services rationing and its mechanisms at various levels and contributed to the literature by broadly conceptualizing health services rationing.

Analysis of equality in Iranian household healthcare payments during Iran's fourth development program

Introduction

Today, the provision of healthcare should be efficient and equitable to achieve the health system’s goals. The aim of this study was to survey equality in healthcare expenditures and its effects on income redistribution.

Methods

This study was a descriptive-analysis, cross-sectional study that was conducted with data obtained from the Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) during 2006 and 2011. The source population and study population were the urban and rural residents of Iran and their households’ income and expenditures on health. The analysis was based on annually aggregated data from all provinces relative to their share of the total population. The data were collected using a pre-tested checklist consisting of two sections. The first section was used to retrieve data about total gross non-food expenditures of households. The second section retrieved out-of-pocket payments for healthcare. The data that were collected were analyzed using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The Kakwani index was used to measure the extent of the deviation from equity. The redistributive effect of healthcare costs was considered as the impact of healthcare payments on households’ income distribution.

Results

The overall Kakwani index during the fourth development program for urban households was progressive (OKI = 0.013), but it was regressive for rural households (OKI = −0.012). Healthcare payments had a negative effect on income redistribution in urban areas during the entire period of the study, and they had a positive effect in rural areas, except for the years 2010 and 2011, for which the effects were negative and non-existent, respectively.

Conclusion

By regarding the regressive Kakwani index and the negative effect of healthcare expenditures on income redistribution in some years, the government can use health grants, such as increasing health facilities and supplementary insurance, to increase the ability of households to deal with the cost of developing a remedy and reducing health inequalities.