Improving healthcare performance by focusing on individual productivity of healthcare provider and system thinking: a strategy proposal

Abstract

Bhutan’s health system, despite its commendable achievements in past few decades, continues to face shortage of skilled healthcare professionals and quality issues in service delivery. While recruiting more professionals, advocating for population health, better patient experience and safety, healthcare provider wellness has been overlooked. As the recent pay revision receives warm welcome from the health fraternity, a sense of greater professionalism and responsibility will be expected. Yet, aforementioned challenges still remain. Life and aspirations of professionals, brought up and trained in society that provides free healthcare and education, will become more convoluted. Mentorship program for healthcare providers at the beginning of their career and institutionalizing enabling environment for their personal and professional development need to be looked into. Decisions to pursue specialization should be a result of genuine interest and not a presumed exit hallway from professional frustrations, nor a shortcut to hefty pay. A promising and congruous career pathway can improve job satisfaction among health care providers. Endeavors to improve healthcare service delivery are present at every level but lack of coordination hampers favorable outcome. Variation in healthcare is major cause of adverse healthcare outcome and it is also known that every system is perfectly designed to achieve the results it gets. After conceptualizing few desired outcomes, a strategy framework that leads to health system improvement through improved individual productivity and systemic reforms enhancing intra- and inter sectoral coordination, while using evidence-based practice and existing resources, is proposed.