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BACKGROUND: An adequate workforce is needed to guarantee optimal kidney care. We used the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) to provide an assessment of the global kidney care workforce. METHODS: We conducted a multinational cross-sectional survey to evaluate the global capacity of kidney care and assessed data on the number of adult and paediatric nephrologists, the number of trainees in nephrology and shortages of various cadres of the workforce for kidney care. Data are presented according to the ISN region and World Bank income categories. RESULTS: Overall, stakeholders from 167 countries responded to the survey. The median global prevalence of nephrologists was 11.75 per million population (pmp) (interquartile range [IQR] 1.78-24.76). Four regions had median nephrologist prevalences below the global median: Africa (1.12 pmp), South Asia (1.81 pmp), Oceania and Southeast Asia (3.18 pmp) and newly independent states and Russia (9.78 pmp). The overall prevalence of paediatric nephrologists was 0.69 pmp (IQR 0.03-1.78), while overall nephrology trainee prevalence was 1.15 pmp (IQR 0.18-3.81), with significant variations across both regions and World Bank income groups. More than half of the countries reported shortages of transplant surgeons (65%), nephrologists (64%), vascular access coordinators (59%), dialysis nurses (58%) and interventional radiologists (54%), with severe shortages reported in low- and lower-middle-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant limitations in the available kidney care workforce in large parts of the world. To ensure the delivery of optimal kidney care worldwide, it is essential to develop national and international strategies and training capacity to address workforce shortages.

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Background: In recent years, the development of global public health has become a matter of great concern and importance for governments worldwide. China, as the largest developing country, plays a crucial role in shaping the development of the public health and its ability to respond to sudden public health emergencies through the fairness of its human resource allocation in center for disease control and prevention (CDC). Objective: This study aims to analyze the situation of health human resource allocation in the China Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDCs), assess the fairness of the allocation, and provide reference for the rational allocation of human resources. Methods: We selected data from the China Health Statistics Yearbook on healthcare technical personnel, other technical personnel, managerial personnel, and workforce technical personnel of China CDCs for the period of 2016-2020. We utilized the Health Resource Density Index to evaluate the level of human resource allocation in China CDCs. Additionally, we used the Gini coefficient and Theil index to assess the fairness of human resource allocation in China CDCs from both a population and geographical perspective. Results: Firstly, the educational qualifications and professional titles of CDC staff have improved, but the workforce is aging. Secondly, HRDI development trends vary among different personnel types and regions with varying levels of economic development. Finally, the results of the Gini coefficient and Theil index indicate that population distribution fairness is better than geographical distribution fairness. Overall, the unfair population distribution is primarily due to regional disparities. Conclusion: The China CDCs should tailor different standards for the allocation of health human resources based on regional characteristics, aiming to enhance the accessibility of health human resources in various regions and achieve equitable allocation.

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BACKGROUND: Tajikistan has embarked on health reforms to orient the health system towards primary health care (PHC). The health labour market analysis (HLMA) was initiated by the Ministry of Health with the World Health Organization (WHO) on policy questions related to the PHC workforce team. This article presents the results with focus on family doctors as a critical part of the PHC team, providing lessons for strengthening family medicine and PHC in the European Region and central Asia. METHODS: The HLMA framework was used to guide the analysis. The data for analysis were provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan. Descriptive means were used to analyse the data. A Technical Working Group guided the process. RESULTS: There has been an increase in the number of health workers in the country over the last 7 years. However, there is a huge shortage of family doctors when compared with norms, with decreasing family doctor densities over the last 7 years. Family doctors have the highest vacancy rates among specialists and also constitute the highest proportion of specialists who migrate. There is inequitable distribution of doctors across the regions. Overall number of enrolments and graduates in family medicine are declining. Although salaries in PHC are higher than in hospitals, the overall health workforce salaries are lower than the national average. While there have been efforts to retain and attract doctors to PHC in rural and remote regions, challenges exist. The attraction of doctors to narrow specialties may be leading to undermining PHC and family medicine. While the optimal skill-mix and availability of nurses provide an opportunity to strengthen multi-disciplinary teams at the PHC level, shortages and unequal distribution of doctors are affecting health services coverage and health indicators. CONCLUSIONS: Application of the HLMA framework has helped identify the bottlenecks in the health labour market flows and the possible explanations for them. The policy considerations emerging out of the HLMA have contributed to improving evidence-based planning for retention and recruitment of the PHC workforce, improvements in medical and nursing education, and higher investments in the PHC workforce and particularly in family doctors. Implementation of the Action Plan will require political commitment, financial resources, strong inter-sectoral collaboration, stakeholder management, and cross-country learning of best practices. Through this process, Tajikistan has shown the way forward in implementing the Central Roadmap for health and well-being in Central Asia and the Framework for Action on the Health and Care Workforce in the WHO European Region.

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INTRODUCTION: Occupational therapy has been underdeveloped and often neglected in the global health workforce agenda, contrasting with the global rise of population needs for services. The World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) is utilizing a research-based, multi-step process for developing a Global Strategy for strengthening the occupational therapist workforce. A multi-pronged scoping review, situational analysis, and expert input process enabled the drafting of a provisional Global Strategy. Here, feedback on that draft from representatives of WFOT member organizations was obtained and analyzed as one key intermediate step toward shaping the in-developing Strategy's content and structure. METHODS: Two-phased, mixed-methods consultation consisting of: (1) online survey with score ratings and comments on the utility of each strategy and (2) four in-person focus groups discussions on low-scoring items involving a total of 76 representatives of WFOT member organizations. The focus group discussions were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: Strategies involving 'task shifting/task sharing' or the 'harmonization of workforce data-collection requirements' received the lowest scores in the initial survey and were thereby addressed in the focus groups discussions. The overarching theme of the focus groups was the need to: "clarify, specify, and contextualize the strategies", including: (1) "clarify the terminology and specify the application", for example, describe the meaning of task shifting, specify which tasks can (and cannot) be shifted and to whom, to address concerns regarding scope-of-practice, service demand, and safety; and (2) "outline the context of need and the context for the implementation" of the strategies, elucidating why the strategies are needed and how they can be feasibly implemented across the different jurisdictional contexts. CONCLUSION: Within a mixed-methods consultation, WFOT representatives identified challenging topics on the draft workforce strategies and suggested methods to improve the Global Strategy, its acceptability, and implementation. The terms 'task shifting/task sharing' raised the greatest discussion among the profession leaders, when the strategy was not sufficiently clarified, specified, or contextualized.

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Health disparities persist among minoritized populations. A diverse clinician workforce may help address these disparities and improve patient outcomes; however, diversity in the critical are workforce (particularly among women and those historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM)) is lacking. This review describes factors contributing to low respresentation of women and URiM in critical care medicine, and proposes strategies to overcome those barriers.

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(1) Background: Mid-level managers in healthcare are central to improving safety and quality of care. Their ability in demonstrating leadership and management competency in their roles and supporting frontline managers and frontline staff has a direct effect on staff retention and turn-over. Yet, investment in their professional development and support for mid-level managers is often neither adequate nor effective, and high rates of staff turnover are evident. This study, set in northern Queensland, Australia, takes a strength-based approach to explore the role and strengths of mid-level managers and organisations' existing mechanisms in supporting managers. With broad involvement and contribution from managers at different management level and frontline staff, the project will identify strategies to address the challenges mid-level managers face while building on their capabilities. (2) Methods: Using co-design principles, a situation analysis approach will guide a mixed-methods, multiphase design. Qualitative data will be collected using transcripts of focus groups and quantitative data will be collected by surveys that include validated scales. (3) Results: Thematic analysis of the transcripts will be guided by the framework of Braun and Clarke. Quantitative data will employ descriptive and inferential analysis, including chi-squared, t-tests, and univariate analyses of variance. (4) Conclusions: This study will generate evidence to guide two partner organisations, and other similar organisations, to develop strategies to improve support for mid-level managers and build their capabilities to support and lead frontline managers and staff. Competent mid-level managers are critical to high-quality patient care and improve the outcomes of the population they serve.

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Burnout and workforce attrition present pressing global challenges in healthcare, severely impacting the quality of patient care and the sustainability of health systems worldwide. Artificial intelligence (AI) has immense potential to reduce the administrative and cognitive burdens that contribute to burnout through innovative solutions such as digital scribes, automated billing and advanced data management systems. However, these innovations also carry significant risks, including potential job displacement, increased complexity of medical information and cases, and the danger of diminishing clinical skills. To fully leverage AI's potential in healthcare, it is essential to prioritise AI technologies that align with stakeholder values and emphasise efforts to re-humanise medical practice. By doing so, AI can contribute to restoring a sense of purpose, fulfilment and efficacy among healthcare workers, reinforcing their essential role as caregivers, rather than distancing them from these core professional attributes.

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The healthcare system in Germany is characterized by a comprehensive local patient care. Nevertheless, due to the increasing lack of medical personnel bottlenecks are impending, which are not only of a temporary nature. The increasing demography-related needs for care, insufficient healthcare competence of many people and the inadequate prevention will strengthen the demand for medical and nursing personnel. At the same time, physicians and nursing personnel from the high birth rate baby boomer years are leaving the healthcare system. This age cohort must now be replaced by a younger workforce; however, in Germany too few physicians are being trained when measured against the requirements. A marked increase in the number of university study places in medicine will not be able to alleviate the deficit in the short term but prospectively there is no way past an expansion of capacities. The decline in panel physicians, especially in general practitioner care, is accompanied by a clear increase of employees in the outpatient sector. The desire for reduced working hours is clearly recognizable throughout all age cohorts. The part-time quota is increasing. The discrepancy between desired and actual working times is largely underestimated. The increased part-time quota already shows that something must fundamentally change to be able to provide sufficient medical manpower and working hours for the treatment of patients. The association between increased part-time quota and dissatisfaction with the working situation in hospitals is obvious and has repercussions for the medical care. In a multifactorial process the causes and sequelae of bottlenecks in skilled personnel are mutually strengthened in a negative spiral. In the short term, the deficit in medical personnel can only be counteracted by a better cooperation between the outpatient and inpatient fields of care and by a massive reduction in bureaucracy. The digitalization can without doubt contribute to the relief of the healthcare system. Telemedical applications can improve the treatment in rural and structurally weak regions.

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BACKGROUND: In 1993, WHO declared tuberculosis (TB) as a global health emergency considering 10 million people are battling TB, of which 30% are undiagnosed annually. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic took an unprecedented toll on health systems in every country. Public health staff already engaged in TB control and numerous other departments were additionally tasked with managing COVID-19, stretching human resource (HR) capacity beyond its limits. As part of an assessment of HR involved in TB control in India, The World Bank Group and partners conducted an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on TB human resources for health (HRH) workloads, with the objective of describing the extent to which TB-related activities could be fulfilled and hypothesizing on future HR requirements to meet those needs. METHODS: The study team conducted a Workload Indicators and Staffing Needs (WISN) analysis according to standard WHO methodology to classify the workloads of priority cadres directly or indirectly involved in TB control activities as over-, adequately or under-worked, in 18 districts across seven states in India. Data collection was done via telephone interviews, and questions were added regarding the proportion of time dedicated to COVID-19 related tasks. We carried out quantitative analysis to describe the time allocated to COVID-19 which otherwise would have been spent on TB activities. We also conducted key informant interviews (KII) with key TB program staff about HRH planning and task-shifting from TB to COVID-19. RESULTS: Workload data were collected from 377 respondents working in or together with India's Central TB Division (CTD). 73% of all respondents (n = 270) reported carrying out COVID-19 tasks. The average time spent on COVID-19 tasks was 4 h / day (n = 72 respondents). Multiple cadres highly instrumental in TB screening and diagnosis, in particular community outreach (ASHA) workers and CBNAAT/TrueNAAT laboratory technicians working at peripheral, block and district levels, were overworked, and spending more than 50% of their time on COVID-19 tasks, reducing time for TB case-finding. Qualitative interviews with laboratory technicians revealed that PCR machines previously used for TB testing were repurposed for COVID-19 testing. CONCLUSIONS: The devastating impact of COVID-19 on HR capacity to conduct TB case-finding in India, as in other settings, cannot be overstated. Our findings provide clear evidence that NTEP human resources did not have time or essential material resources to carry out TB tasks during the COVID pandemic without doing substantial overtime and/or compromising on TB service delivery. To minimize disruptions to routine health services such as TB amidst future emerging infectious diseases, we would do well, during periods of relative calm and stability, to strategically map out how HRH lab staff, public health resources, such as India's Health and Wellness Centers and public health cadre, and public-private sector collaboration can most optimally absorb shocks to the health system.

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BACKGROUND: Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in Australia aim to optimise access to comprehensive and culturally safe primary health care (PHC) for Aboriginal populations. Central to quality service provision is the retention of staff. However, there is lack of published research reporting patterns of staff turnover and retention specific to ACCHSs. This study quantified staff turnover and retention in regional and remote ACCHSs in the Northern Territory (NT) and Western Australia (WA), and examined correlations between turnover and retention metrics, and ACCHSs' geographical and demographic characteristics. METHODS: The study used 2017-2019 payroll data for health workers in 22 regional and remote PHC clinics managed by 11 ACCHSs. Primary outcome measures included annual turnover and 12-month stability rates, calculated at both clinic and organisation levels. RESULTS: There was a median of five client-facing (Aboriginal health practitioners, allied health professionals, doctors, nurses/midwives, and 'other health workers' combined) and two non-client-facing (administrative and physical) staff per remote clinic, at any timepoint. Mean annual turnover rates for staff were very high, with 151% turnover rates at the clinic level and 81% turnover rates at the organisation level. Mean annual turnover rates for client-facing staff were 164% and 75%, compared to 120% and 98% for non-client-facing staff, at clinic and organisational levels, respectively. Mean 12-month stability rates were low, with clinic-level stability rates of only 49% and organisation-level stability rates of 58%. Mean annual clinic-level turnover rates were 162% for non-Aboriginal staff and 81% for Aboriginal staff. Both workforce metrics were moderately to highly correlated with the relative remoteness of clinics, size of regular clients serviced, and average annual headcount of employees in each clinic (p values < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Participating ACCHSs in remote NT and WA have very high turnover and low retention of healthcare staff. Overall, clinic-level turnover rates increase as distance from regional centres increases and are lower for Aboriginal staff, suggesting that greater employment of Aboriginal staff could help stabilise staffing. Improved retention could reduce burden on ACCHSs' resources and may also support quality of service delivery due to improved cultural safety and continuity of care.

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Using novel national data, we examined the association between 2020 federal COVID-related funding targeted to health centers (i.e., H8 funding) and health center workforce and operational capacity measures that may be important for preserving patient access to care and staff safety. We assigned health centers to quartiles based on federal funding distribution per patient and used adjusted linear probability models to estimate differences in workforce and operational capacity outcomes across quartiles from April 2020 to June 2022. We found a nearly 6-fold difference in 2020 H8 funding per patient when comparing health centers in the lowest versus highest quartiles. Despite this difference, health centers' outcomes improved similarly across quartiles over time, with the lowest-funded health centers having the greatest staffing and service capacity challenges. Our findings suggest that COVID-related health center funding may have contributed to stabilization of health centers' workforce and operations. Amid concerns about staff turnover, sustained investments targeted to supporting workforce retention at health centers can help to ensure ongoing delivery of critical services.

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Objectives: The Swiss Cohort of Healthcare Professionals and Informal Caregivers (SCOHPICA) was created to study the career trajectories, retention intentions, and wellbeing of healthcare professionals (HCPs), addressing challenges such as staff turnover, low job satisfaction and burnout. Methods: SCOHPICA is a prospective open cohort. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect data from HCPs across multiple healthcare settings in Switzerland, encompassing the intention to stay in the profession, wellbeing, and various organizational, psychosocial, occupational and sociodemographic determinants. Results: The first (2022) baseline sample included 1707 HCPs from over 20 professions. Notably, 13% did not intend to stay in their profession, with intermediate caregivers (24%), registered nurses (17%) and pharmacists (17%) reporting the highest rates. Pharmacists scored lowest in wellbeing. Across determinants, pharmacists, physicians, and registered nurses reported worse scores for workload and work-life balance. Nursing professions had lower scores in various determinants, including influence at work, staffing and resource adequacy, and possibilities for development. Conclusion: SCOHPICA will provide critical insights on HCPs' work conditions and experiences, supporting health workforce monitoring and management, and informing policy-making to ensure high-quality healthcare delivery.

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BACKGROUND: Ensuring that the scale and hierarchical structure of health human resources are rational, and that medical services are efficient and fair, is an important task of practical significance. On this basis, examining the impact of health human resources on the level of medical services presents a new and formidable challenge. This study aims to delve into how the scale and hierarchical structure of health human resources in China's four major economic regions affect the fairness and efficiency of medical services, and to identify optimization strategies. METHODS: This study utilizes provincial panel data from China's four major economic regions spanning the years 2009 to 2021. Initially, it provides a statistical description of the current state of health human resources and the level of medical services. Subsequently, it employs a fixed-effects model to analyze the impact of the scale and hierarchical structure of health human resources, as well as their interactive effects, on the fairness and efficiency of medical services, and discusses the interactive mechanisms between medical service fairness and medical service efficiency. Furthermore, after conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the level of medical services using the entropy weight method, it explores the regional heterogeneity and temporal dynamics in the influence of the scale and hierarchical structure of health human resources on the level of medical services. Finally, the study examines the scientific validity and rationality of the research findings through various robustness checks, including the substitution of research variables and models. RESULTS: The study found that the scale of health human resources has a promoting effect on the equity of medical services (ß ≤ 0.643, p ≤ 0.01), but exhibits an inhibitory effect on the efficiency of medical services (ß ≥ -0.079, p ≤ 0.1); the hierarchical structure of health human resources shows a positive impact on both the equity and efficiency of medical services (ßequity ≤ 0.160, p ≤ 0.01; ßefficiency ≤ 0.341, p ≤ 0.05); at the same time, the results indicate that the interactive effect of the scale and hierarchical structure of health human resources promotes equity in medical services (ß = 0.067, p ≤ 0.01), but restricts the efficiency of medical services (ß ≥ -0.039, p ≤ 0.01); the mechanism by which health human resources affect the level of medical services in China's western and northeastern regions is more pronounced than in the central and eastern regions; after the implementation of the "Healthy China 2030" Planning Outline, the role of health human resources in the level of medical services has been strengthened; in the robustness tests, the model remains robust after replacing the core explanatory variables, with R2 maintained between 0.869 and 0.972, and the dynamic GMM model test shows a significant second-order lag in the level of medical services (ßequity ≤ 0.149, p ≤ 0.01; ßefficiency ≤ 0.461, p ≤ 0.01); the channel test results prove that managerial personnel and other technical personnel are key pathways in regulating the impact of medical staff on the level of medical services. CONCLUSION: This study provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of health human resources on the level of medical services, revealing that both the scale and hierarchical structure of health human resources significantly affect the equity and efficiency of medical services. Furthermore, the influence of health human resources on the level of medical services exhibits regional heterogeneity and temporal characteristics. Robustness tests ensure the scientific validity and robustness of the research conclusions. This provides effective references for optimizing the allocation of health human resources and improving the level of medical services.

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There are well-documented shortages of healthcare providers in rural and remote communities worldwide, and these shortages correlate with inequitable health outcomes for rural peoples. Despite a wide array of efforts to remedy the issue, these shortages persist to this day. The Healthcare Traveling Roadshow (HCTRS) is a grassroots initiative that began in 2010 to help address the shortage of healthcare providers in rural communities throughout British Columbia. Since its inception, the HCTRS has been predicated on three evidence-based guiding principles which have been shown to markedly increase the rate at which healthcare students choose to practice rurally. These principles are: (1) to showcase healthcare careers as viable and realistic options for rural youth (high school students) using interactive stations and near-peer teaching; (2) to expose healthcare students to rural communities and showcase them as a potential opportunity for their future practice; and (3) to provide a unique interprofessional experience to healthcare students from diverse healthcare careers and backgrounds. Through the synergy of these three principles the HCTRS aims to increase the longitudinal recruitment and retention of healthcare workers in underserved rural communities. This paper will share our experience from 15 years of running this initiative, for those hoping to implement similar programs in other areas of the world.

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This study aims to promote the system construction of public health talent through understanding the status and identifying problems of public health human resources in Weihai City. A survey on professional public health institutions was conducted through questionnaires and interviews in Weihai City, and statistical analysis on the personnel structure, introduction, and turnover of professional public health institutions was conducted. There were 24 professional public health institutions in Weihai City, with a vacancy rate of 44.27% (1 367/3 088). Health professionals accounted for 68.09% (1 669/2 451) of the on-duty personnel. The number of health technicians in professional public health institutions in the city was 0.57 per thousand people. Among the 1 669 health professionals, the age groups≤35, 36-45, 46-54, and ≥55 accounted for 47.63% (795/1 669), 30.26% (505/1 669), 18.10% (302/1 669), and 4.01% (67/1 669), respectively. The personnel with bachelor's degrees and master's degrees accounted for 74.60% (1 245/1 669) and 8.09% (135/1 669). The personnel holding clinical medical, nursing, laboratory, and public health qualifications accounted for 61.34% (995/1 622), 28.30% (459/1 622) and 10.36% (168/1 622), respectively. Only 17.73% (296/1 669) of personnel held deputy senior or above technical titles, while 45.96% (767/1 669) held junior or below technical titles. About 70.10% (1 170/1 669) personnel held permanent positions, and 29.90% (499/1 669) held non-permanent positions. From 2021 to 2023, the employment rate of public health institutions was 65.51% (207/316), and the ratio of introduced and lost personnel was approximately 3∶2 (207/132).

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AIM OF THIS STUDY: General internal medicine is a crucial element in healthcare systems. Understanding how many people are and will be working in this field is important to maintain and improve quality for patients in healthcare systems. This can provide a basis for political decisions. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study to analyse the current and future workforce of generalists (general practitioners and internists in hospitals) in Switzerland. The Swiss Society of General Internal Medicine (SSGIM) distributed a survey to all members. Respondents were asked about their current average workload in 2023 and planned workload in 2033. The responses were used to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) for the current and future workforce of generalists and to extrapolate FTE for all active SSGIM members. To model the demand by 2033, we derived different scenarios. RESULTS: Of all 6,232 active SSGIM members, 2,030 (33%) participated: 46% female, 25% (largest age group) 56-65 years old, 19% still in postgraduate training. The average workload in 2023 was 78% for female and 87% for male generalists; the FTE extrapolated to all active SSGIM members in 2023 was 5,246. By 2033, 1,935 FTEs (36%) will retire, 502 FTEs (10%) will reduce their workload, 116 FTEs (2%) will increase their workload and 2,800 FTEs (53%) will remain in the workforce with the same workload as in 2023. To maintain the same workforce as in 2023, 2,321 new FTEs (44%) will be needed by 2033. To fill this gap of 232 FTE new generalists per year, we modelled different scenarios with assumptions of interest, workload, migration and dropouts. CONCLUSIONS: Within only one decade, 44% of the current workforce of generalists will disappear, mainly due to retirement and decreased workload. To fill this gap, various scenarios need to be incorporated. Politicians are called upon to create the political framework to create attractive training and working conditions for generalists to address the future demand for healthcare services.

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INTRODUCTION: Shifting demographics, an aging population, and increased healthcare needs contribute to the global healthcare worker shortage. Migrant Health Care Workers (MHCWs) are crucial contributors to reducing this shortage by moving from low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) to high-income countries (HICs) for better opportunities. Economic factors and health workforce demand drive their migration, but they also face challenges adapting to a new country and new working environments. To effectively address these challenges, it is crucial to establish evidence-based policies. Failure to do so may result in the departure of Migrant Healthcare Workers (MHCWs) from host countries, thereby worsening the shortage of healthcare workers. AIM: To review and synthesize the barriers experienced by MHCWs as they adjust to a new country and their new foreign working environments. METHODOLOGY: We followed the PRISMA guidelines and conducted a search in the PubMed and Embase databases. We included cross-sectional studies published after the year 2000, addressing MHCWs from LMIC countries migrating to high-income countries, and published in English. We established a data extraction tool and used the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) to assess article quality based on predetermined categories. RESULTS: Through a targeted search, we identified fourteen articles. These articles covered 11,025 MHCWS from low- to medium-income countries, focusing on Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Israel. Participants and respondents' rates were diverse ranging from 12% to 90%. Studies encompassed various healthcare roles and age ranges, mainly 25-45 years, with a significant female presence. Participants resided in host countries for 3-10 years on average. Results are categorized based on the Riverside Acculturation Stress Inventory (RASI) and expanded to include bureaucratic and employment barriers, Gender differences, Natives vs. non-natives, and orientation programs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings emphasize the importance of cultural competence training and tailored support for MHCWs integration and job satisfaction. Time spent in the new healthcare setting and the influence of orientation programs are key factors in shaping their intentions to stay or leave. Despite limitations, these studies provide valuable insights, emphasizing the ongoing need for holistic strategies to facilitate successful integration, ultimately benefiting healthcare systems and well-being for all stakeholders.

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Background: The Global Specialist Digital Health Workforce Census is the largest workforce survey of the specialist roles that support the development, use, management, and governance of health data, health information, health knowledge, and health technology. Objective: This paper aims to present an analysis of the roles and functions reported by respondents in the 2023 census. Methods: The 2023 census was deployed using Qualtrics and was open from July 1 to August 13, 2023. A broad definition was provided to guide respondents about who is in the specialist digital health workforce. Anyone who self-identifies as being part of this workforce could undertake the survey. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis of the functions respondents reported in their roles. Results: A total of 1103 respondents completed the census, with data reported about their demographic information and their roles. The majority of respondents lived in Australia (n=870, 78.9%) or New Zealand (n=130, 11.8%), with most (n=620, 56.3%) aged 35-54 years and identifying as female (n=720, 65.3%). The top four occupational specialties were health informatics (n=179, 20.2%), health information management (n=175, 19.8%), health information technology (n=128, 14.4%), and health librarianship (n=104, 11.7%). Nearly all (n=797, 90%) participants identified as a manager or professional. Less than half (430/1019, 42.2%) had a formal qualification in a specialist digital health area, and only one-quarter (244/938, 26%) held a credential in a digital health area. While two-thirds (502/763, 65.7%) reported undertaking professional development in the last year, most were self-directed activities, such as seeking information or consuming online content. Work undertaken by specialist digital health workers could be classified as either leadership, functional, occupational, or technological. Conclusions: Future specialist digital health workforce capability frameworks should include the aspects of leadership, function, occupation, and technology. This largely unqualified workforce is undertaking little formal professional development to upskill them to continue to support the safe delivery and management of health and care through the use of digital data and technology.

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