Briefing to MoHMETeheran, 15 September 2014

James Campbell, Director Health Workforce, WHO

Executive Director, Global Health Workforce Alliance

Health professionals’ education and training

Transforming and scaling up the education and training of health professionals: what is it?

The expansion and reform of health professionals’ education and training to increase the quantity, quality and relevance of health professionals to:

– meet population health needs and expectations

– strengthen countries’ health systems and improve population health outcomes

WHO. 2013.

Available at: http://whoeducationguidelines.org

Core elements:

Greater alignment is needed between educational institutions and the systems that are responsible for health service delivery.

Country ownership of priorities and programming related to the education of health professionals with political commitment and partnerships to facilitate reform at national, regional and local levels.

Promotion of social accountability in professional education and of close collaboration with communities.

Core elements (cont):

Clinicians and public health workers who are competent and provide the highest quality of care for individuals and communities.

Global excellence coupled with local relevance in research and education.

Vibrant and sustainable education institutions with dynamic curricula and supportive learning environments, including good physical infrastructure.

Faculty of outstanding quality who are motivated and can be retained

Policy briefs for five domains

1. Education and training institutions

2. Accreditation, regulation

3. Financing and sustainability

4. Monitoring & evaluating

5. Governance and planning

Available at: http://whoeducationguidelines.org

WHA Resolution 66.23 (May 2013)

To develop a standard protocol and tool for assessment

Support Member States in country assessments

Support MS to develop evidence-based strategies

Regional consultation

Synthesis and continuous improvement

Transforming health workforce education in support of universal health coverage

…in support of UHC…(AAAQ)

Health labour markets - AAAQ - UHC.

Sousa et al, Bulletin WHO. November 2013 (adapted from Vujicic & Zurn, 2006)

The health workforce implications?

Population

Services (AAAQ)

Financial protection

A

B

Where are you now?

Where do you want to be?

The context in Iran?

Population

Services (AAAQ)

Financial protection

A

B

Where are you now?

Where do you want to be?

Learning from others…

Population

Services (AAAQ)

Financial protection

A

B

Where are you now?

Where do you want to be?

Competencies?

Needs based planning?

Private sector engagement?

Current activities..

1. WHO working with professional medical associations to improve accreditation and regulation

2. WHO a founding member of WFME and in partnership with WFME has developed guidelines for accreditation of medical schools globally and continues to support its improvement and strengthening.

3. WHO works with WMA who is a member of the Executive Council of WFME.

Current activities..(cont)

1. WHO working with professional medical associations to improve accreditation and regulation

2. WHO a founding member of WFME. In partnership with WFME has developed guidelines for accreditation of medical schools globally and continues to support its improvement and strengthening.

3. WHO works with WMA who is a member of the Executive Council of

WFME.

Current activities..(cont)

WFME has a strategic partnership with WHO for the promotion of medical accreditation in medical education and was represented at its most recent global meeting on accreditation and quality assurance. WMA is also a member of the Executive Council of WFME and thus a partner in this process.

WFME and WMA are members of the WHO Technical Working Group put together to develop a global Health Workforce Education/Evaluation tool and protocol for implementation in response to the World Health Assembly resolution WHA 66.23, ‘Transforming health workforce education in support of universal health coverage’.

WHO is collaborating with WMA and partners to obtain data on the following areas inter alia from national associations of WMA in Africa to promote quality medical education: strengthening the curriculum; improving access to CPD; and engaging in activities designed to address the social determinants of health.

Current activities..(cont)

WHO working to strengthen competencies in medical education as well as ensure evaluation of medical education institutions

WHO EMRO is undertaking a comprehensive assessment of 100 medical schools to improve quality of medical education: Eastern Mediterranean Medical Education Study (EMMES): the quality of graduates; health status improvement; and policy influence.

WHO EURO addressing challenges among which: mismatch between education and health system needs; hospital dominance over primary care; need for new delivery models; and weak teamwork including inter-professional collaboration. WHO undertakes regular health policy dialogue with stakeholders beyond the Ministries of health to build consensus on various issues (using the health system observatory). The HWF challenges arising from regular analysis of the database are considered at these dialogues and appropriate planning taken to mitigate these challenges.

Current activities..(cont)

WHO AFRO is working with Deans of medical schools in sub-Saharan Africa to address challenges in the region. This is in order to: stimulate authorities, organisations and medical education institutions to plan for reforms and quality improvement; establish national / international evaluation and recognition of medical educational institutions and programmes and iii) safeguard practice in medicine under conditions of increasing globalization.

WHO SEARO is implementing the teaching of public health at undergraduate level in medical schools. In addition to agreement on the production of teaching manuals, there is also work on the development of a regional strategic framework for strengthening teaching of public health in undergraduate medical schools

Current activities..(cont)

Collaboration with partners on Social Accountability

Advancing the global discussion for social accountability in medical and more broadly in health professional education.

Activities

Collection and dissemination of case studies and construction of a research agenda.

Collaboration with working groups and platforms to identify best avenues, methods and stakeholders to promote and implement social accountability in medical and health professional institutions.

Current activities..(cont)

Engaging medical students

Building partnership with the International Federation of Medical Students Association(IFMSA) through participation in IFMSA global conferences.

Activities

An integration of the recommendations of transformative education into the agenda of IFMSA via: global student survey on transition from secondary to tertiary education and the importance of non-technical/transversal skills.

Student survey on eLearning for medical students and junior doctors to establish an international knowledge exchange network to design and share practical experiences on the application and impact of eHealth initiatives.

Use of social media to highlight important areas in medical education and build a global knowledge about, and interest in, transformative education.