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Will the Need‐Based Planning of Health Human Resources Currently Undertaken in Several Countries Lead to Excess Supply and Inefficiency? A Comment on Basu and Pak

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  • Stephen Birch
  • Gail Tomblin Murphy
  • Adrian MacKenzie
  • William Whittaker
  • Thomas Mason

Abstract

Basu and Pak (2014) argue that need‐based workforce planning models would not maximize social welfare, and use of need‐based models would result in inefficiency. They propose that planning be based on service utilization to incorporate preferences or other socioeconomic factors. We show that the analysis is based on inappropriate considerations of the nature of healthcare demand, a misrepresentation of need‐based approaches and misunderstanding publicly funded healthcare system objectives. We explain how current levels of utilization emerge from workload and income interests of providers that underlie utilization‐based models and are incompatible with public goals of maximizing health gains. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Stephen Birch & Gail Tomblin Murphy & Adrian MacKenzie & William Whittaker & Thomas Mason, 2017. "Will the Need‐Based Planning of Health Human Resources Currently Undertaken in Several Countries Lead to Excess Supply and Inefficiency? A Comment on Basu and Pak," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(6), pages 818-821, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:26:y:2017:i:6:p:818-821
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.3370
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Mason, Thomas & Sutton, Matt & Whittaker, William & Birch, Stephen, 2015. "Exploring the limitations of age-based models for health care planning," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 11-19.
    2. Birch, Stephen, 1988. "The identification of supplier-inducement in a fixed price system of health care provision : The case of dentistry in the United Kingdom," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 129-150, June.
    3. Stephen Birch & George Kephart & Gail Tomblin-Murphy & Linda O'Brien-Pallas & Rob Alder & Adrian MacKenzie, 2007. "Human Resources Planning and the Production of Health: A Needs-Based Analytical Framework," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 33(s1), pages 1-16, January.
    4. Tomblin Murphy, Gail & Kephart, George & Lethbridge, Lynn & O'Brien-Pallas, Linda & Birch, Stephen, 2009. "Planning for what? Challenging the assumptions of health human resources planning," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(2-3), pages 225-233, October.
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    1. James Avoka Asamani & Christmal Dela Christmals & Gerda Marie Reitsma, 2021. "Advancing the Population Needs-Based Health Workforce Planning Methodology: A Simulation Tool for Country Application," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-20, February.

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