Using Evidence for Human Resources for Health Decision-Making

iHRIS and human resource for health information systems(HRIS) like it play a critical role in managing health workforce data. However, curating and maintaining data for the sake of it is not the goal. Using data to inform decisions is one of the primary objectives of the system. The USAID led CapacityPlus project led by IntraHealth recently published a technical brief on the subject and the iHRIS Community believes it is worth sharing.

A strong and well-distributed health workforce is essential for achieving national and global health goals. Effective policies to address workforce challenges, such as retention, should be informed by relevant data; however, the availability of evidence does not guarantee that it will be used for decision-making. A new CapacityPlus technical brief shows national stakeholders how to transform evidence into policy decisions and subsequent action.

Technical Brief 15In Using Evidence for Human Resources for Health Decision-Making: An Example from Uganda on Health Workforce Recruitment and Retention, authors Rachel Deussom and Wanda Jaskiewicz of IntraHealth International explain how countries can build interest, momentum, and political will to make policy decisions for retention strategies to strengthen the health workforce. Based on a literature review and the authors’ experience in Uganda, they describe six recommendations to help stakeholders turn evidence into effective policy decisions and subsequent action:

Using an example from Uganda, the authors illustrate how the development and sharing of evidence can support decision-making for change in health workforce recruitment and retention policies.

To learn more, read the new publication, available as a PDF and an interactive online version. CapacityPlus would like to know what you think; send them your feedback.