Western Europe

This study evaluated which factors affect health professionals’ intentions to use clinical guidelines generally in their decision-making on patient care. [adapted from abstract]

This article examines a project to address the decreasing number of general practitioners (GPs) in rural regions in Germany through the delegation of regular GP-home visits to qualified practice assistants. [adapted from abstract]

The LANE study aims to longitudinally examine a wide variety of individual and work-related variables related to psychological and physical health, as well as rates of employee and occupational turnover, and professional development among nursing students in the process of becoming registered nurses and entering working life. The aim of this paper is to present the LANE study, to estimate representativeness and analyse response rates over time, and also to describe common career pathways and life transitions during the first years of working life. [adapted from abstract]

This study uses Ireland as a case study to determine the future demand and supply of general practitioners and to assess the potential impact of several possible interventions to address future shortages. [from abstract]

This article defines the effectiveness of network forms of organization for general practitioners in Italy.

This pilot study evaluates how an intervention to improve hypertension care for ethnic minority patients of African descent in the Netherlands affected the attitudes and perceived competence of hypertension care providers with regard to culturally appropriate care. [adapted from abstract]

Retaining physicians in remote settings can be challenging owing to the heavy workload and harsh environmental conditions and to the lack of opportunities for professional development. This study evaluated corrective measure to address the dearth of physicians in the north of Norway. [adapted from abstract]

A number of recent developments in medical and nursing education have highlighted the importance of communication and consultation skills (CCS). Although such skills are taught in all medical and nursing undergraduate curriculums, there is no comprehensive screening or assessment programme of CCS. This study was designed to test the content, process and acceptability of a screening programme in CCS with Irish medical and nursing students. [adapted from abstract]

The aim of this study was to examine the frequency and consequences of aggressive behaviour towards nurses and health care workers in different health sectors in Germany and to assess the need for preventive measures. [from abstract]

This article describes human resources in nursing and the role and status of nurses within the health care system. It also deals with government measures and the foreseeable impact on nursing and health care services. [adapted from introduction]

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been suggested as a key educational method of knowledge acquisition to improve medical education. This study sought to evaluate the differences in medical school education between graduates from PBL-based and conventional curricula and to what extent these curricula fit job requirements. [from abstract]

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a training program on hand hygiene for the reduction of healthcare-associated infections for primary healthcare workers. [adapted from author]

Quality of care in general practice may be affected by the team climate perceived by its health and non-health professionals. This study aimed to explore individual and practice factors that were associated with team climate, and to explore the relationship between team climate and quality of care. [from abstract]

This study’s purpose is to compare how physicians, working for both public and privatized hospitals, rate their respective psychosocial working conditions and job satisfaction. [from abstract]

Few countries require that physicians demonstrate explicitly that they remain fit to practice. The term revalidation is defined as an evaluation of a medical practitioner’s fitness to practise. Although this definition focuses on assessment, it is recognized that the process leading up to it should be formative, encouraging professional development as well as identifying those unfit to practice. [adapted from author]

Although international nurse recruitment campaigns have succeeded in attracting large numbers of migrant nurses to countries such as Ireland, where domestic supply has not kept pace with demand, the long-term success of such initiatives from a workforce planning perspective will depend on the extent to which these nurses can be retained in destination countries. [from introduction]

This report summarizes a series of quantitative models developed to assist in workforce planning and using example simulation projections for the demand and supply of healthcare workers in Ireland. [adapted from executive summary]

This presentation from the 2004 Seminar on Health and Migration details factors contributing to international migration of healthcare workers and strategies to counter this trend.

This study explores whether high physician workload and job stress were associated with lower quality and outcomes of healthcare delivery performance in general practice settings in the Netherlands. [adapted from abstract]

This article details the results of a preliminary study on the activity patterns, time allocation and simultaneous activities of hospital physicians. [adapted from abstract]

Internationally trained health professionals are an important part of the domestic workforce, but little is known about pharmacists who come to work in Great Britain. This paper explores the extent to which Great Britain is relying on the contribution of internationally trained pharmacists and to explore their routes of entry and demographic characteristics and compare them to those of pharmacists trained in Great Britain. [adapted from abstract]

This presentation details issues surrounding the recruitment and utilization of foreign health professionals in the UK.

This presentation addresses issues pertaining to nurse migration in the UK including trends, patterns and the impact of soft regulation.

This presentation explores the primary characteristics of the migrant labor force in the UK healthcare sector, including the implications for policies regulating migration and the care sector.

This article discusses the agenda for monitoring and improving the quality of health care through the use of clinical governance in National Health Service organizations in the UK. [adapted from introduction]

This working paper aims to outline the evolving picture of how London’s health care labour market is performing within the context of these changes by comparing previous findings with more recent data. It also looks at the challenges ahead and some possible ways forward. [adapted from introduction]

The United Kingdom has recruited nurses from countries with a reported surplus in their nursing workforce, such as India and the Philippines. However, little is known about the decision to emigrate made by nurses from these countries. One theory suggests that individuals weigh the benefits and costs of migration: the push and pull factors. This paper challenges the restricted economic focus of this predominant theory and compares the diverse motivations of nurses from different countries as well as those of nurses with previous migratory experience and first-time migrants. [from abstract]

This commentary article is focused on encouraging debate and discussion as to how health care professionals in the developed world might wish to re-think the relationship with colleagues in other health care environments and consider how to work together on a theme of two-way shared learning rather than one-way aid. [adapted from abstract]

International recruitment of health professionals has been high on the policy debate agenda in recent years with increasing advocacy for the development of an international code of practice, notably the current draft for a WHO global code. This paper assesses the effect of the first national code, which has been in place in England since 2001 and as such has lessons for current initiatives in other countries and globally. [from introduction]

This study undertook an in-depth exploration of the unintended consequences of pay-for-performance programs In England and California. The authors interviewed primary care physicians in California and England and compared unintended consequences in each setting. [adapted from abstract]