Health Professional Mobility in the European Union Study

EHMA is working with the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies and nine other main partners on a major new project on health professional mobility, which started in January 2009.

Running until 2011, HEALTH PROMeTHEUS makes a significant contribution to future thinking on the movement of health professionals in the European Union. PROMeTHEUS is funded through the Seventh Framework Research Programme of the European Commission (FP7).

Background

People have always moved to, from and within Europe for work and for a range of other reasons. Health professionals are no different. However, the scale of professional mobility, the range of occupational cadres involved; the numbers seeking work in other sectors; and the potential impact on health systems as people leave (and join) is causing increasing concern. Not enough is known about the numbers; types of mobility; factors that reduce or facilitate movement; or the effects on services, staff and financial and health outcomes.

Overarching objectives

The general objective of the project is to address these gaps in order to be able to generate recommendations for more effective human resource policies. The study seeks to better understand existing patterns of professional mobility and the organizational, contextual and personal factors that push and pull staff across borders. It considers the positive and negative impacts of mobility and map the international, national and organizational initiatives that seek to manage it better. It aims also to highlight feasible, effective policy interventions whether national or international and to identify effective managerial responses.

EHMA’s Role

EHMA is responsible for the project management of HEALTH PROMeTHEUS and is also delivering one of the work packages: ‘Testing the policy and managerial relevance’. The objective of this work package is to ensure that research and analysis throughout the project is fully informed by policymaking issues and practitioners’ concerns, and that it reflects a range of disciplines and national / regional level perspectives.

The specific objectives of the work package are:

• To ensure that the frameworks and templates that will shape the project in detail are based on a real understanding of policymaking and practice.
• To review methodologies, country and professional spread with experts and practitioners.
• To test preliminary recommendations with experts and practitioners.
• To make all advice and communications policy relevant.

For more information, please contact Britta Baer, EHMA Projects and Policy Manager.  

Please also visit the HEALTH PROMeTHEUS website here.

A flyer providing mroe information on the project and its activities can be downloaded here.

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n°223383. Sole responsibility lies with the authors and the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.