Toward  An Effective Healthcare Workforce through Evidence-Based Strategies

“Health workers and the public health workforce are integral to building strong and resilient health systems that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.” Among the articles included in this issue are articles on three unique components of the workforce: physicians, midwives, and clinical research professionals. One article focuses on training; another assesses competency; a third focuses on work motivations. These articles are, among the many published in our journal, contribute to the growing body of evidence necessary to craft policy, assess implementation, and evaluate outcomes with the goal of improving the health care workforce in their effective and efficient delivery of essential public health functions. Training of health professionals is a pedagogical science. While strategies on what is effective for specialty training is found in international publications such as that of Clar, unique experiences in the local context provide specific recommendations to guide institutions in the Philippines. The article by Lao and Sana provides such a context. Additionally, assessing our status in terms of competency, in the case of the article on competency assessment of clinical research professionals by Cabaluna and co-investigators, and comparing it with global standards, helps us benchmark and improve our own metrics. Our authors can go further and develop policy recommendations based on their unique findings like what the group from Portugal did with their investigation. Lastly, pedagogical input and competency evaluation are just parts of a whole in the making of the health professional. Motivation and work engagement of providers are critical components that affect health service delivery. It is a timely investigation of the motivation of midwives, our frontline workforce, and realize that beyond pay scales and recognition, their commitment to service is the capital which drives them to continue care as described by Ricafert-Acera and co-authors. There are many other studies published in the pages of Acta Medica Philippina through the years on health manpower. We hope the findings of our authors are eventually reflected in health policy and provide a metric of implementation of such policies in the local setting.