Monitor HRH availability and accessibility
The availability of HRH data in many countries could be improved upon in terms of interoperability, robustness, accuracy, and frequency of updates (Riley et al., 2012). Harmonisation of existing HRH data is critical; with the automation of more in-country governance data and records, rich sources of HRH data may already exist. Private-sector HRH should be included in national harmonised data. Payroll records, education institution records, civil service databases, and professional association rolls are examples of how HRH data may already be available. Systems to capture these data and make them interoperable may be the shortest route to having a complete HRH data picture (Fort et al., 2017; Riley et al., 2012).
The following resources and tools can help access monitor HRH availability and accessibility at various health system levels:
- Global Health Workforce Statistics - Latest national data available, disaggregated by occupation, gender, and age whenever possible. It is also useful to track health workers according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), which provides a comprehensive list of health professionals: https://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.HWFGRP?lang=en
- Within a country, the HRH Indicator Compendium and the Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation of Human Resources for Health provides a comprehensive list of health workforce measures, with accompanying guidelines for developing HRH monitoring and evaluation plans.
- Human resources for health information systems (HRHIS) seek to capture health workforce stock and flows. iHRIS, an open-source software, has helped many country stakeholders develop their HRHIS. The WHO recommends a minimum data set for a health workforce registry: address (physical, electronic), country, date, disciplinary action, education, occupational employment category, employment status, employment title, facility type and ownership, full name, GPS coordinates, identification number, language, license, registration and certification, photograph, postal code, sex at birth, and telephone number.