The impact of new health professionals on the efficiency and effectiveness of the health service

Health services throughout the EU are faced with pressures to reduce costs. The research project 'Health care reform: The impact on practice, outcomes and costs of new roles for health professionals' (MUNROS) is identifying workforce configurations that deliver the most clinically and cost effective health care.

The size and composition of health workforce is linked to the performance of health care systems. The quality of care that patients receive and their satisfaction with that care is determined both by the quality of the workforce (skills, experience and motivation) and the integration of the systems within which they work.

Innovations in the delivery of care and the development of health workforce skills are being undertaken in some degree in all EC countries. New health professions and redesigned roles for established professions are being created. MUNROS is mapping the skills and competences of health professionals working in these new roles. Evaluations of these new roles for their clinical and cost effectiveness are underway. The researchers are using workforce planning models based on optimal models of integrated health care delivery.

The research is identifying the different models of care that are in current use and the best amongst these to serve as benchmarks. Reporting the role that the new professionals play in these models and establishing a framework for mapping the skills and competences of the health workforce is being undertaken.

This research project is improving health service delivery by addressing skill mix and management of human resources while looking at the integration of care across organisations. The study looks at the issues of organisation, management, cost and clinical effectiveness. It is producing evidence of the positive impact of new professional roles in health care on practice, outcomes and costs in a range of different health care settings.