Development of a Medical Workforce Planning and Prioritization Tool

Background: In a predominantly rural territory and a unique francophone management structure, physician recruitment challenges are particularly enhanced throughout New Brunswick's Vitalit Health Network. To minimize the risk of interrupting or reducing its medical services, Vitalithas developed a tool to facilitate the planning and prioritization of its medical workforce.

Approach: Developed and implemented an integrated tool that allowed the standardization of medical workforce planning and prioritization, featuring a criteria-based prioritization matrix designed to identify medical resources requirements, both for recruitment and deployment of new positions. Based on a mixed approach, for which quantitative refers to standardized data analysis regarding general calculation bases and for which qualitative pursues a collaborative approach where the facilitator conducts individual as well as group meetings, peer validation, external validation, clinical consultations, and literature review aiming to harness the collective knowledge. Involved are not only internal partners such as physicians, administration, and the recruitment team, but also external partners such as the Department of Health, community members, and the province second health authority.

Results: The standardization of medical workforce planning and prioritization processes by modelling the present and projected medical workforce needs over a 3-year, 5-year and 0-year period. In addition to forecasting vacancies and adequately identifying service needs, thus ensuring a continuous and high-quality service provision to New Brunswick communities. As well as facilitating the dialogue on medical priorities between stakeholders.

Implications: A practical introduction to how organizations and healthcare professionals can develop and implement a workforce planning tool using a collaborative approach. In this phase, the next steps are ongoing assessment and refinement of the model that reflects stakeholder suggestions. For instance, the inclusion of an epidemiological viewpoint combined with a regression analysis that demonstrates specialty trend indicators such as employment longevity and extend the model to possibly other professions.