International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

A New Generation of Physicians in Sub-Saharan Africa?; Comment on “Non-physician Clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Evolving Role of Physicians”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Gilles Dussault 1
Nadia M. Cobb 2
1 Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
2 Office for the Promotion of Global Healthcare Equity, Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
10.15171/ijhpm.2016.97
Abstract
This commentary follows up on an editorial by Eyal and colleagues in which these authors discuss the implications of the emergence of non-physician clinicians (NPCs) on the health labour market for the education of medical doctors. We generally agree with those authors and we want to stress the importance of clarifying the terminology to describe these practitioners and of defining more formally their scope of practice as prerequisites to identifying the new competencies which physicians need to acquire. We add one new competencies domain, the utilization of new communication technologies, to those listed in the editorial. Finally, we identify policy issues which decision-makers will need to address to make medical education reform work.

Highlights

 

 

Watch the Video Summary here. 

 

Keywords
Non-physician Clinicians (NPCs)
Medical Education
New Competencies
Sub-Saharan Africa
Subjects
  1. Eyal N, Cancedda C, Kyamanywa P, Hurst SA. Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2015;5(3):149-153. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2015.215
  2. Frenk J, Chen L, Bhutta ZA, et al. Health professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. Lancet. 2010;376(9756):1923-1958. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10) 61854-5
  3. Scheil-Adlung X. Global evidence on inequities in rural health protection: New data on rural deficits in health coverage in 174 countries. Extension of Social Security International Labour Office: International Labor Organization; 2015
  4. Lassi ZS, Musavi NB, Maliqi B, et al. Systematic review on human resources for health interventions to improve maternal health outcomes: evidence from low- and middle-income countries. Hum Resour Health. 2016;14:10. doi:10.1186/s12960-016-0106-y
  5. Schneeberger C, Mathai M. Emergency obstetric care: making the impossible possible through task shifting. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2015;131 Suppl 1:S6-9. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.02.004
  6. Henry JA, Frenkel E, Borgstein E, Mkandawire N, Goddia C.  Surgical and anaesthetic capacity of hospitals in Malawi key insights. Health Policy Plan. 2015;30(8):985-994. doi:10.1093/heapol/czu102
  7. McCord C, Mbaruku G, Pereira C, Nzabuhakwa C, Bergstrom S. The quality of emergency obstetrical surgery by assistant medical officers in Tanzanian district hospitals. Health Aff (Millwood). 2009;28(5):w876-85. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.28.5.w876
  8. Mullan F, Frehywot S. Non-physician clinicians in 47 sub-Saharan African countries. Lancet. 2007;370(9605):2158-2163. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60785-5
  9. Cobb N, Meckel M, Nyoni J, et al. Findings from a survey of an uncategorized cadre of clinicians in 46 countries – increasing access to medical care with a focus on regional needs since the 17th century. World Health Popul. 2015;16(1):72-86. doi:10.12927/whp.2015.24296
  10. Dovlo D. Using mid-level cadres as substitutes for internationally mobile health professionals in Africa. A desk review. Hum Resour Health. 2004;2:7. doi:10.1186/1478-4491-2-7
  11. Campbell J, Admansu K, Soucat A, Tlou S. Maximizing the impact of community-based practitioners in the quest for universal health coverage. Bull World Health Organ. 2015;93:590-590-A
  12. International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08). ILO website. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/
  13. World Health Organization (WHO). Atlas of eHealth country profiles 2015: The use of eHealth in support of universal health coverage. Geneva: WHO; 2015.
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 6, Issue 1
2017
Pages 57-59

  • Received Date 06 June 2016
  • Revised Date 16 July 2016
  • Accepted Date 16 July 2016
  • First Published Date 01 January 2017
  • Published Date 01 January 2017