Public Human Resource Management for Closing Health Workforce Gaps
Keywords:
public administration; human resource management; health personnel; health planning; human resources for health; health workforceAbstract
Objective: To analyze the scientific evidence on public-sector human resource management in relation to closing health workforce gaps, considering reported advances, challenges, and proposed strategies.
Methods: A systematic review of publications issued between 2020 and 2025 was conducted. Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and ProQuest were searched using DeCS and MeSH descriptors combined with Boolean operators. Study selection involved title and abstract screening followed by full-text assessment. The included studies were organized into a review matrix and subjected to methodological appraisal. Given the heterogeneity of study designs and settings, a narrative and thematic synthesis was performed.
Results: A total of 455 records were identified, and 26 studies were included: 16 empirical studies or data analyses, five literature reviews, and five conceptual studies, management tools, or perspective articles. Three thematic areas were identified: advances in human resource management, challenges, and proposals for closing workforce gaps. The most frequent problems were workforce shortages and unequal distribution, recruitment and retention difficulties, work overload, competency gaps, and governance constraints. Reported responses included needs- and workload-based planning, stronger information systems, competency development, and more flexible recruitment processes.
Conclusions: Closing health workforce gaps requires coordinated action across planning, distribution, recruitment, competency development, and retention. Methodological heterogeneity prevents determining the comparative effectiveness of these strategies and reinforces the need to address workforce availability as a systemic challenge of workforce planning and governance.
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