Work force planning in the 90s, Part I: Efficiency, economy and political will--the need for a new approach

Critical to health services management in today's economic climate is efficient utilization of our costly and sometimes limited supply of health care professionals. This two-part article gives an overview of current issues in health care work force planning in Canada. In Part I, the problems of estimating current supply are discussed. Needs-based and demand-based forecasting are contrasted. Comprehensive needs-based planning is recommended and changes needed in order to move toward this type of planning are discussed. In Part II, the maldistribution of health care professionals and various corrective measures within the context of needs-based comprehensive planning are discussed.