Coordinating Between Medical Professions’ Tasks to Optimize Sub-Saharan Health Systems: A Response to Recent Commentaries

Document Type : Correspondence

Authors

1 Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

2 Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

3 Institute for Ethics, History, and the Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland

4 School of Health Sciences, Kampala International University, Kampala, Uganda

Keywords

Main Subjects


We are grateful that our perspective1 received commentary from leading experts on African human resources for health. All endorse and several quote our central suggestion that the “development in [non-physician clinician] deployment should unfold in parallel with strategic rethinking of the role of physicians and with critical innovations in physicians’ education and inservice training.”... (Read more...)

  1.  

    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. 2016;5(3):149-153. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2015.215
    2. Monekosso GL. Have non-physician clinicians come to stay? Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016;5(11):671-672. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.86
    3. Olapade-Olaopa EO, Sewankambo NK, Iputo JE. Defining sub-Saharan Africa’s health workforce needs: going forwards quickly into the past: Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016; forthcoming. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.100
    4. Dovlo D, King-Harry II, Ousman K. Non-physician clinicians – a gain for physicians’ working in sub-Saharan Africa: Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016; forthcoming. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.110
    5. 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
    6. Dussault G, Cobb NM. A new generation of physicians in sub-Saharan Africa? Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016;forthcoming. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.97
    7. 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
    8. Sidat MM. Is the role of physicians really evolving due to non-physician clinicians predominance in staff makeup in sub-Saharan African health systems? Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016; forthcoming. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.80
    9. Langlois EV, Ranson MK, Barnighausen T, et al. Advancing the field of health systems research synthesis. Syst Rev. 2015;4:90. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0080-9
    10. Binagwaho A, Sarriera G, Eagan A. The evolution of the physician role in the setting of increased non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa: an insistence on timing and culturally-sensitive, purposefully selected skill development: Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016; forthcoming. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.90
    11. Cubaka VK, Schriver M, Flinkenflögel M, et al. The evolving role of physicians - don’t forget the generalist primary care providers: Comment on “Non-physician clinicians in sub-Saharan Africa and the evolving role of physicians.” Int J Health Policy Manag. 2016; forthcoming. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.77
  • Receive Date: 11 October 2016
  • Revise Date: 30 October 2016
  • Accept Date: 21 October 2016
  • First Publish Date: 01 February 2017